


Prisoner of Love

by SkylarEQuinn



Series: InkVerse [10]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-22
Updated: 2019-10-22
Packaged: 2020-12-28 16:56:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 32,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21140072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkylarEQuinn/pseuds/SkylarEQuinn
Summary: InkVerse WWII Human AU. When Raivis Galante shows up at Lilli Zwingli's door on Christmas night, delusional and burning with fever, what else can she and her brother do but take him in? As Lilli nurses him back to health, Raivis finds himself falling for the woman before him. But as Lilli starts having other callers coming around, can Raivis really win her over?





	1. Chapter 1

December 25, 1942, Small Swiss Border Village

Lilli Zwingli sat in front of the fire with her older brother Vash. She kept her hands folded in her lap as she gazed down at them with her green eyes. Her blonde hair fell out of its pins and into her face. Her eyelids felt heavy as she leaned against the back of her upholstered chair.

"Lilli," Vash said, getting her attention. He locked eyes with his sister, who looked nearly identical to him. "If you are tired, you should go to sleep."

She weighed it out in her head. "But then you would be all alone," she said with a frown.

"I'm happy to have a little sister who thinks of me when making decisions," Vash began, "but please think of your health, Lilli. Don't worry about me."

Lilli nodded and stood. She heard a knock at the door. "Who could that be?" she asked herself aloud. "We don't really know anyone."

"Would you like to get it, or do you want me to?" Vash asked.

"I can get it," Lilli told him with a smile before hurrying off toward the door.

When she opened the door, she saw a boy her age shivering on their porch. The boy had soft, blue eyes and curly, tangled brown hair. He looked sick, very sick.

"Vash!" Lilli cried out. "Vash, come quick!"

The thundering sound of footsteps could be heard as Vash ran to his sister's side. "What is it, Lilli?" he asked, looking at her. His green eyes then went to the boy. "Well what are you standing around for? He'll freeze to death if he's out there for much longer. Help him!" Vash went over and helped the boy into the door and to the living room.

The boy passed out the moment he was on the couch. He looked slightly angelic as he slept, like one of the curly-haired cherubs that Lilli had seen in artwork. She admired him, smiling to herself.

"Stop smiling at him and get him a blanket," Vash told her.

Lilli quickly snapped out of it and hurried off to find a blanket for the boy. She searched their closets for the fluffiest, warmest blanket she could find in a small amount of time. That boy looked so cold. In her mind, she was just hoping he wouldn't die. That would be the worst.

It had always been a fantasy of hers to nurse a handsome man back to health one day, and at the end he would always fall in love with her. That was what she dreamed of, hoping this could happen now. But the only problem was Vash. He wouldn't allow something like that. She already knew that, deep down in her heart. Vash was strict with her about many things, men being one of the main ones.

Lilli hurried back in and threw the blanket over the boy. "What are we going to do, Vash?" she asked, looking up at him. "He's sick." She placed a gentle hand on his forehead and noticed that he was burning up with fever. "If we don't do something quickly, he won't last through the night! How long do you think he was out there?"

"You cannot panic in a situation like this one," Vash gently lectured his sister. "I need you to get a cool washcloth and a bowl of water. Please hurry on this."

She nodded and rushed from the room. As she gathered the things, her mind began to wander, daydreaming of nursing this boy back to health and falling in love with him. Her mind came back to reality as she heard Vash yelling for her to hurry up from the living room. Lilli quickly shook her head to regain her senses and hurried back.

"Will he be okay?" she worriedly asked him. If anyone would know, it would be Vash. According to Lilli, Vash knew everything.

"I think he'll at least be fine until morning," Vash answered. "I'll take care of him tonight as long as you take over in the morning." He smiled wryly as his younger sister nodded to him. "No funny business, Lilli, do you hear me? Now get to bed. You're going to have a long day ahead of you with this boy tomorrow. I'll see you when you wake up."

But as Lilli laid in bed, she tossed and turned, knowing that there was absolutely no way she was going to fall asleep that night. Why hadn't she insisted on taking the night shift? Who cared if it could be more dangerous? She sighed and squeezed her eyes shut, struggling to force herself to sleep, which didn't work. Then again, what would? She was at a complete loss. If anything, she may get an hour or two in before daybreak.

.

She had been correct. Two hours of sleep was all she had ended up getting before daylight flooded her room, causing her to open her eyes and welcome it in. It wasn't as if she minded, though. That meant that it was her turn to take care of the boy while Vash slept. And if the boy were to happen to wake up on her watch, she would be able to talk to him without Vash interrupting or anything of the like. It almost seemed like a dream come true.

Lilli nearly skipped down the hallway to the living room. She smiled as she saw her brother sitting in a chair next to the couch, where the boy was still sleeping. "I'm awake," she softly said. "You can go to bed now, Vash."

The older brother yawned and stretched. "Do you want anything to eat for breakfast before I do so?" he asked his sister, standing up. "It will be a while before I wake up again."

She shook her head. "No, it's fine. I can make myself something if I get hungry. You're tired, so you should rest."

Vash walked by and ruffled her hair with a tired smile. "Thanks, kid. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Big Brother," she said to him, smiling warmly. Her heart began to pound as she sat in the seat next to the mysterious boy. "Hello, stranger," she softly said to the boy.

His eyelids began to flutter after she said that, as if he had heard her or something. And when his eyes opened up, they were the bluest of blue, causing her heart to stutter a little and then pick back up to where it had been before. He looked over at her. "Where am I?" he hoarsely asked her in English.

"You're in Switzerland," she softly said. "Right on the border." She pulled the blanket up a little more on him, tucking it just under his chin. "What are you doing here? I can tell by your accent that you're not from around here at all."

"I am originally from Latvia," he answered before going into a coughing fit, too weak to cover his mouth.

Lilli frowned. "Would you like some water?" she asked.

"That would be nice," he answered.

"Allow me to get some for you," she said, standing up. "I will be right back."

As she got the water from the kitchen, all she could wonder was how he ended up all the way at her house from Latvia. What would drive him to end up all the way here? She didn't understand. It didn't make any sense to her. Yet she did notice that his English skills were impeccable. She wondered where he had learned them.

"Here you are," she said, bringing the edge of the glass to his lips and tilting it slightly so he could drink. She smiled as he took a few gulps. "My name is Lilli, and I am very pleased to meet you."

"Lilli is a beautiful name," the boy told her before letting out a single cough. He smiled over at her. "My name is Raivis Galante. I must look pretty shabby right now, huh?"

"I wouldn't say this is the handsomest you've ever been," Lilli agreed.

He smiled a bit. "I wouldn't say so either," he said with a chuckle that turned into yet another coughing fit. "I hate that a beautiful lady such as yourself must see me like this. It is rather embarrassing."

"Is it?" Lilli asked him, cocking her head to the side.

"It is," Raivis answered with a nod. "If I knew someone like you would be taking care of me, I probably would have minded my appearance a little more."

"You're just saying that," Lilli giggled.

Raivis smiled at her. "So you caught me. But you are lovely, Miss Lilli."

She smiled at him. "You're not so bad yourself, Mr. Galante."

His smile grew wider. "One day, when I'm better, I'll pay you back for taking care of me in my time of need."

"You will?" Lilli asked. Her smile widened as she saw him nod. "I can't wait then."

For the rest of the day, her mind swam with thoughts of what he meant by that. Did he mean as in taking her out somewhere? Or did he mean that he would marry her? She had to calm herself down a bit after thinking things like that, reminding herself that she had just met Raivis and that there was no way he would be thinking things like that just yet.

.

Vash woke up a couple hours before they usually had dinner and was surprised to find that Raivis was awake. His eyes widened as he walked into the room to find Lilli and Raivis talking with each other and smiling. "What's this?" he asked.

"Vash!" Lilli squeaked in surprise. She stood up and smiled at her brother. "He's awake! Isn't that wonderful?"

"You should have woken me up," Vash grumbled to her, scratching his head. He looked over at Raivis. "Hello, I am Vash."

"My name is Raivis," the Latvian boy responded. He reached out a hand to shake.

"You are not well," Vash simply stated. "We will leave the hand shaking for when you are in better health, Raivis." He yawned and walked toward the kitchen. "I'm going to go and plan dinner. Lilli, keep an eye on him."

Lilli nodded to him. "I can do that." She sat back down where she was and smiled at Raivis. "Vash is my older brother. He took me in after our parents died when I was seven." Her eyes got an admiring gaze in them. "My brother is the kindest and most wonderful person I have ever met."

"Did you know him before he took you in?" Raivis asked her.

"No," Lilli softly answered, shaking her head. "He is much older than me and was in military school when I was born. When he graduated school, he moved out and came to live here. I know that he knew about me, but he didn't want to travel to Liechtenstein to see me." Her hands were folded firmly in her lap. "I always knew he existed, but I didn't meet him until he took me in. It was scary at first because he's not one for much conversation. But Vash and I now have an understanding for each other, and he is a wonderful big brother."

Raivis nodded. "I understand how that goes. I had been living with my cousin Toris ever since 1939. We moved to Poland right before the Germans invaded." He saw Lilli's eyes widen, yet he still continued. "We were safe for awhile, but they figured us out a couple years later. Sadly, our friend we made….didn't make it."

"I'm so sorry," Lilli softly said, frowning.

Raivis shook his head. "It's fine," he softly said, hoping she'd believe him. But nothing about what had happened to his friend was fine. "Toris was in love with our friend, and that friend sacrificed its life so that we would be safe." He clenched his fist tightly. "And now Toris is to marry another….It makes me sick." His body began to shake with rage. "He's marrying a Belarusian woman named Natalia because she's like us, but still….It's not right."

"It's not," Lilli softly agreed. "Would Natalia have given her life like your friend had?"

The Latvian boy looked up at her. "No," he simply said. "She wouldn't have. She would have expected Toris to do it."

"You cared about that friend a lot, didn't you?" Lilli asked Raivis, locking eyes with him.

He could only bring himself to nod at first. "I loved that friend dearly. That friend had done so much for both of us, and Toris had tossed it all aside for a woman like Natalia. I want to believe that our friend still lives, but it's just so hard."

"But if you believe that friend is still alive, wouldn't that lift your spirits a little?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. "I think that believing in something helps boost morale and keeps you stronger in the end."

"You're right," Raivis said after thinking it all through for a moment. "I should believe that my friend is still alive." His eyes began to shine with hope. "It's better than moping and feeling sorry for myself."

Lilli smiled at him kindly. "You know, I don't think you're doing any of that. You're just trying to find ways to cope with what happened. And there's nothing wrong with that."

"There isn't?" Raivis asked her.

"There isn't at all," she answered, shaking her head to prove her point. "Did you leave Toris behind because of Natalia?"

"Partially," Raivis admitted with a nod. "But another reason is because I didn't like being in Russia all that much. I wanted to see more of the world now that I actually can and have nothing to tie me down." He licked his lips and looked up at Lilli. "And I honestly like what I see."

Lilli gasped out, cheeks burning red with blush. She was about to say something back before her brother walked in, announcing that dinner was to be soup that evening. Her entire mannerisms changed while he was in the room. She had responded respectfully and accordingly before going back to blushing as soon as he returned to the kitchen.

"What did you mean by that?" she asked him in shock.

"I meant exactly what I said," Raivis answered. "I like what I'm seeing right now."

"You are a very confident man," Lilli said, voice shaking slightly as she looked down at her hands, which were clasped firmly in her lap.

"I wasn't always," Raivis admitted with a soft chuckle that turned into a low-key coughing fit. "Believe it or not, but a few years ago, I used to shake when around people. It could be anyone, and I my whole body would tremble."

"What helped you get over that?" Lilli asked.

"Toris helped me get over that," he answered, looking down at his feet. "He helped me raise my confidence when I had none."

"It sounds like he was a good cousin to you when he could be," she softly said, smiling. "I'm glad you two had each other."

"Come to think of it, so am I," Raivis answered. "Even if he turned out to be not so great of a person in the end, I'm glad I had him when things were really hard. He may have been a difficult person, but we're still family." He sighed. "He's getting married in March."

"Are you going to the wedding?" Lilli asked.

"No," he softly said. "I don't like his bride. She is not a good person." He looked up at Lilli. "Natalia is the kind of woman who carries knives with her everywhere."

Lilli giggled. "You must be joking."

"I wish I was," Raivis sighed. "She pulled one out on me once because I sneaked up on her."

Her eyes widened. "That's not right!" she gasped. "She didn't hurt you, did she?"

"No, because Toris showed up and asked what was going on," Raivis answered. "He wasn't too happy with her because of that, let me tell you…."

"Well I wouldn't be too happy either," Lilli huffed.

"You wouldn't?" Raivis asked. "Why is that?"

"She could've hurt you, Raivis!" she exclaimed. "Doesn't that bother you?"

He shook his head. "I've looked death in the face many times since leaving Latvia. Why should I care now?"

"You're brave," Lilli simply said, and she left it at that.

.

That night, as Lilli laid in bed, she couldn't help but think of all of the things she and Raivis had discussed that day. His life had seemed so exciting. Why would he have wanted to leave it all behind to just walk to Switzerland? It didn't make sense. He had family and friends that he left behind.

Her mouth fixed itself into a frown as she stared up at her ceiling. If everything he had said to her was the truth, then he probably had a good reason to leave. Then again ,how could he have just left Toris behind like that? Had he planned it for a long time? Nothing seemed to make sense, but maybe it all made sense in Raivis's head. She could only hope so.

.

In the morning, Lilli relieved her brother of his duties of watching Raivis as she took bites of toast and jam. She got a little on her dress, but she didn't care. All she wanted was for Raivis to finally wake up. She wanted to talk to him more. Her mind craved more stories from the places where he had been. She wanted to hear more about Toris and Natalia and the friend who had no name.

Deep down, she was curious as to why that friend was never named. She also caught on to another thing about that friend. Raivis never once acknowledged whether that friend was male or female. It seemed slightly odd to Lilli, but if he was avoiding that for a reason, why should she press that matter at all? That wouldn't be fair to Raivis.

Raivis opened his eyes about an hour after she took her seat. A broad smile graced his face when he saw that it was Lilli sitting there, and not Vash. "Good morning, Lilli," he greeted, smiling.

"Good morning," Lilli greeted, smiling back.

"Last night was slightly awkward with your brother, but I managed." Raivis grinned at her. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did," she assured with a nod. "Did you sleep well?"

"As good as can be expected when not feeling well," he explained, smile dulling slightly yet remaining on his face. "What did you dream of?"

"What does it matter?" Lilli asked. "No one has ever asked me that." She thought about it for a moment. What had she dreamed of? "I…" Her voice trailed off. "I don't remember. I don't think I dream."

"Then you're missing out," Raivis answered. He chuckled a little, managing to do so without coughing this time. "Dreaming is the best thing in this world."

"Then I wish that I could dream," Lilli softly said.

"Maybe one day you will."


	2. Chapter 2

Early January, 1942, Small Swiss Border Village

Raivis's health was rapidly recovering. Vash and Lilli had gotten so used to having him around that they had put him up in the spare room. Vash had made an agreement to let him stay for awhile as long as he helped out around the house, but only if Raivis promised to find his own place to live before too long. Raivis had eagerly accepted the offer.

He stood in the kitchen and washed the dirty dishes in the sink, humming softly to himself. Raivis was glad being able to stay with the Zwingli siblings. The two of them had been so kind to him, and he really wanted to be able to pay them back for their kindness in some way or other.

Lilli walked into the kitchen. "Oh!" she gasped. "I wasn't expecting you to be in here! Did you sleep well, Raivis?"

He turned to her, accidentally splashing water onto himself. "Oh! Good morning, Lilli!" His cheeks lit up bright pink when he realized that the water had made a mess all over the front of him. "I slept well. How did you sleep?"

"I feel well rested," she answered through suppressed giggles. "I'm sorry, Raivis. I didn't mean to startle you when I came in. Here, let me help you." She opened a drawer across the kitchen and pulled out a towel. "This should help," she said, handing it over.

Raivis scrubbed it over himself, trying to dry himself off fast. It was cold over by the sink and wet clothes would only make it worse. "Thank you, Lilli. I appreciate it." He looked up at her and smiled. "I am glad you slept well."

She smiled softly at him. "Raivis, did you ever write that letter to your cousin that you said you would write?" she asked him.

His expression faded into sorrow. "I didn't," he answered with a sigh. "I doubt he misses me anyway, Lilli. Toris has Natalia now. He doesn't miss anyone who was once in his life."

Lilli looked down at her feet. "I think it would be best if you wrote him a letter just to tell him you were okay," she softly said. "Maybe it would help both of you."

"How would it help me?" Raivis asked, turning back to the dishes in the sink. "Sure, it would help Toris know I'm safe so he can forget about me like he did with our friend, but I don't see any way it could benefit me."

"You seem to have a lot of hurt stored inside of you from him," she said, scraping her toe against the hardwood flooring. "If you wrote to him and told him how you felt, maybe it wouldn't hurt as badly anymore."

Raivis turned to her, eyes wide. "What makes you think that I'm hurt?" he asked her. "Toris made those choices himself. I don't agree with them, so I don't want to be a part of his life anymore." He clenched his fist. "Feliks died because of him, Lilli. And Toris treated that sacrifice like rubbish, which is what he is! Feliks shouldn't have had to die. It was unfair. Maybe it should've been Toris who died instead."

"You don't mean that," Lilli softly answered. "I don't think you really want Toris dead, Raivis."

"How would you know?" Raivis asked. "Toris betrayed Feliks when Feliks did everything for him!" With a huff, he turned back to the sink and began scrubbing furiously at the dishes.

After a moment, Lilli walked over to Raivis and placed a gentle hand on his arm. "Feliks was your friend in Poland, wasn't he?"

Though Lilli's voice was barely above a whisper, Raivis could feel it booming in his ears. He couldn't believe he had let Feliks's name slip like that. How could he have been so careless? What was she going to think now, knowing that Toris was in love with another man before loving Natalia?

When Raivis didn't answer, Lilli continued speaking. "Feliks wouldn't have wanted you to resent Toris the way you do. He wouldn't have made that sacrifice for the both of you just so you can be separated and harbor hateful feelings later on."

Though Lilli was right, Raivis couldn't help but feel defensive. She had never known Feliks, so how would she know what he would have wanted or not?

"You didn't know Feliks," he gumbled.

"I know enough from what you told me to know that he wouldn't have wanted things between you and Toris to end this way," she said.

Raivis kept his mouth shut tight. He knew she was right, yet he didn't want to acknowledge it. Maybe he enjoyed resenting Toris, just so he could have someone to blame for his misfortune in life. Was that really his thought process about Toris after all? His jaw clenched as he thought more about it. What was his real reasoning for resenting Toris? Was it only because he had betrayed Feliks, or was there something else lying deeper than he wished to look?

"Please say something," she quietly pleaded, worried that she had hurt him with her words.

"You're not wrong," Raivis slowly said, scrubbing absently at the same plate he had been scrubbing for the past five minutes. "Feliks wouldn't have wanted this. But Toris is not the same Toris that was in Poland with Feliks. He is now Natalia's Toris, and I hate it. More like I hate her."

"Hate is a strong word, Raivis," Lilli reminded.

"I know it is," Raivis answered. "But I really mean it. If Natalia had never stumbled into our lives, maybe I wouldn't resent Toris. If Natalia had never accepted Toris's love, then maybe I would've felt more hopeful about him."

"Why blame only Natalia?" Lilli asked. "Toris had something to do with it as well. It wasn't all just her. Love goes both ways."

Raivis sighed. "Then I wish he had never fallen in love with Natalia," he said. "That way we could've still been happy."

Lilli didn't want to comment on how unfair that seemed for Toris. She didn't want to upset Raivis any further. "I'll go work on my embroidery in the living room," she softly said before giving his arm a gentle squeeze and leaving the kitchen.

He turned slightly to watch her leave, wishing that they could have talked about happier things. He knew the topic of what happened with him and Toris was going to come up, but he really hoped he hadn't upset her too much. Making a mental note to apologize to her after chores, he went back to washing the dishes.

.

Lilli's heart wasn't completely in her embroidering like it usually was. She couldn't help but feel that she had caused unnecessary tension between Raivis and herself. Her mind kept wandering to better things she could have said, but she knew she couldn't overthink all of it. It would only upset her more.

She cried out as the needle stabbed into her index finger. Her eyes watched a small pearl of blood form on her fingertip. Lilli quickly popped the finger into her mouth out of impulse, hating the metallic taste of her blood.

Vash was instantly in the doorway. "Is everything all right?" he asked her, eyes wide in concern.

Lilli quickly nodded. "Just pricked myself with my needle is all," she grudgingly muttered.

"Maybe you shouldn't embroider when something is on your mind," Vash said, leaning against the doorframe.

"How did you know something was on my mind?" she asked, looking up at him.

"The only time you prick your fingers is when your mind is occupied with other thoughts," he answered. "I pay attention to your mannerisms, Lilli. Now what is on your mind?" He moved to sit next to her on the sofa.

"Well I spoke with Raivis this morning about his cousin," she softly said, keeping her voice low so Raivis couldn't hear from the kitchen. "I think I upset him greatly, but it also upset me to see how resentful he is toward his cousin." Lilli folded her hands in her lap and focused her gaze on them. "You see, I think Toris is the only relative he knows is still alive after the war, and I feel as if they should stay on good terms, being all each other has left." She sighed. "But he seems to not want to make up with Toris at all."

Vash frowned. "Lilli, you care too deeply for people you just met. Yes, he has his own issues that need to be dealt with, but you can't make his issues yours as well." He sighed. "You have a kind heart, Little Sister, and those are the hearts that end up hurting the most at times. I am sorry that you have to experience it."

Lilli frowned as well. "I just want Raivis to be happy."

"What makes you think he's not happy here?" Vash asked. "After all, this is the place he wanted to be. Maybe he needed to get away from this Toris guy."

"But it's sad that he won't even let Toris know that he's alive and well," she answered. "I know he's happy here. He smiles a lot. But sometimes I wonder if those smiles aren't just a mask for something deeper."

Vash chuckled and ruffled Lilli's hair. "You think too much, Lil."

"Doesn't it make you sad?" Lilli asked her older brother.

He shrugged. "I have no opinion on it. I don't know Raivis well enough to decide for myself what should make me sad about him and what shouldn't."

She bit her lip. "I suppose you're right. You don't talk to him as much as I do." She picked her needle back up and began embroidering once more. "I just want him to be well."

"Don't make it your own mission to make sure he's happy," Vash reminded. "Let him figure things out for himself as well. I don't want you getting stressed out or upset over things like that. Because we don't even know how long Raivis will even be in our lives, Lilli. He might even be gone by this time next year."

Lilli's heart sunk at that. She wanted to ask Vash not to say things like that, but he would only ask why she was making such a request. Her mind wouldn't let herself even think about explaining the feelings she felt around Raivis, because she knew Vash would never understand. She doubted her brother never cared deeply about anyone but her. Part of her was glad that she was the center of his world, but the other part wished that there was a special woman in his life for him to care about just as much.

"Did I say something wrong?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, nothing," she answered. Her mouth formed into a forced smile. "Thank you for talking with me, Vash. I feel much better."

"Well that's good," he answered, standing up. "I'm going to get back to cleaning my ammunition room. If you need anything, don't be afraid to come to me."

"I won't," she answered. A genuine smile now played on her lips. "Have fun."

He laughed bitterly. "Oh yeah, I will."

She giggled and went back to her embroidery after he left. Her mind would not free her from the thought of Raivis, but at the same time, she didn't want it to. If her mind could be filled with positive thoughts of Raivis, she hoped she would never have to think of anything else.

.

Raivis found Lilli in the living room about fifteen minutes later. His fingers were shriveled, but he felt accomplished. He saw Lilli struggling to thread her needle. "Would you like some help?" he asked her, sitting next to her on the sofa.

Exasperated, she handed over the needle and thread with a huff. "Please," she sighed. Her arms crossed over her chest in fury as she glared at the needle. "This is so stupid."

He threaded it with ease, ignoring her scowl when she handed it over. "Hey, I just want to say sorry for my behavior. I shouldn't have taken my frustration out while talking to you earlier. I hope you can forgive me."

Lilli blinked at him. "You mean it?" she asked.

"I had a lot of time to think while washing the dishes." He folded his hands in his lap. "You didn't deserve my attitude that I had."

"Thank you for your apology," Lilli told him. "I forgive you." She blushed and began embroidering once more. "Did you finish the dishes?"

"I did," he answered. "I'm just resting up a bit before tackling the pantry."

Lilli giggled. "Tackling?" she asked. "That sounds like a fun word. What other chores do you have to do?"

"Let's see," he said, looking up to the ceiling as he thought. "I have to sweep the pantry, water the indoor plants, sweep the walk outside, and clean the kitchen."

"You're a busy man today, Raivis," Lilli laughed. "I hope you'll have time to come and spend time with me."

Raivis felt his cheeks growing hot. "What makes you say that?"

"I enjoy talking with you, but you need to make sure your chores are done first," she answered. "Vash may become upset if not, and no one wants that."

"I feel as if he doesn't like me all too well," Raivis admitted with an uncomfortable laugh. "He is always really quiet around me and doesn't talk to me nearly as much as you do. Do you know if he's uncomfortable around me?"

"It's hard to say," she answered with a shrug. "But I'm sure he likes you. Why else would he let you live with us for this amount of time?"

"I suppose you're right," Raivis agreed. "Thank you for that." He grinned at Lilli. "So who are you embroidering this for?"

Lilli looked down at her embroidery. It was a sunflower with the sun shining down on it. "I'm not sure," she answered. "I don't know who I wish to give it to."

Raivis thought for a moment. "You're excellent at embroidery." He looked closer at it. "Is there anything else you do with embroidery."

"That's a secret," Lilli answered with a sly smile. The truth was, she had been working on an embroidery of the Latvian flag with Raivis's initials on it. She worked on it in her room, knowing that was the one place in the house where he wasn't allowed. "But I am working on another project."

"What is it?" Raivis asked in genuine interest. He leaned toward her, looking at the embroidery and her careful hand motions.

"It's a secret," she answered with a wink. "But I know you'll like it."

"It's for me?" he asked, eyes widening in surprise.

Her eyes widened as well. "Um, I mean…" How was she going to get out of that? "Yes," she softly answered, cheeks blushing a bright red. "It's for you."

"Then I can't wait to see it," Raivis finished.

Lilli's finger slipped as she pricked it once more. "Ouch!" she squeaked. Once more, she dropped the embroidery and popped her finger in her mouth. The metallic taste hit her taste buds once more and she frowned.

"Are you okay?" Raivis asked. He grabbed her hand, pulling her finger out of her mouth to inspect it. "It doesn't look too bad." One single pearl of blood came out, but that was it. "It looks as if it's done bleeding."

She blinked in surprise at him. "You think so?" she asked, unable to say anything else. "I mean, it didn't hurt that bad." Her face was a deep red, she could feel it.

He inspected it further. "Yeah, it's good." Raivis smiled at her. "You're good now."

Though the pain was gone, neither of them let go of the other's hand. Lilli looked up into his blue eyes and felt her cheeks turn a deeper shade of red. Raivis looked back into her green eyes, feeling his face growing hot. He couldn't bring himself to let go of her hand, even if he was going to be dead if Vash were to talk in.

"Raivis…" Lilli softly said. She couldn't bring herself to look away from him.

"Does your finger still hurt?" he asked, fishing for an excuse to keep her hand in his.

"A little," she softly said, hoping that he wouldn't let go. She looked away from him for a moment, the intensity in his eyes starting to get to her. "I should get a bandage. This is the second time I have done this today."

"You should be more careful," Raivis told her. "What made you do it the first time?"

"I wasn't thinking clearly," Lilli answered. "It was my fault." She looked back up at him. "But thank you for worrying about me, Raivis. You are very kind."

"I try," he answered.

The two of them sat there like that for a few moments. Lilli moved her fingers to lace them between his as they gazed into each other's eyes. She could feel herself being drawn to him and wondered if this was what being in love felt like. Her mind had an inner desire to kiss him, but she knew she couldn't give in. It was too early.

Raivis found it harder to hold his feelings back for the beautiful girl before him. He could feel his heart racing in his chest and was wondering if she was feeling that as well. "Lilli, I…"

"You what?" she asked him. Her heart raced in her chest.

"May I kiss you?" he asked. He blushed a bright red. "I have never kissed a girl in my life, and I was wondering if you could be my first kiss…"

Lilli stared at him with wide, unblinking eyes. "Okay," she softly said. Her heart felt caught in the throat. "I have never kissed anyone either," she admitted, looking down.

Raivis smiled at her and moved forward. He felt his lips connect to hers, and it was a feeling like nothing he could describe. Though he had never kissed a girl before, he knew that it was supposed to feel magical and perfect. This kiss felt even more amazing than that. Everything felt perfect, but electrifying at the same time. He wondered if Lilli felt it as well.

When they pulled apart, Lilli's face was as red as the Latvian flag. Her eyes were wide as she looked at him. She couldn't find any words to say. All she wanted was to kiss him again, so she did.

Raivis could feel his blood rushing in his ears. He was glad that she kissed him back. All he wanted was to keep kissing her and experiencing the feeling, but before he could, the atmosphere suddenly went dark.

A voice was heard from the doorway moments later. "What the hell are you two doing?"


	3. Chapter 3

Raivis felt everything inside of his run cold. He froze himself as Lilli gasped and pulled away from him. He couldn't believe that Vash had walked in on them. His head was screaming at him to get out of there, but his body couldn't move. Nothing, not even his brain, was really even functioning.

Vash walked over to him. "We need to talk," he said, grabbing him by the arm and yanking him off of the couch. He dragged him from the room and down the hallway.

It terrified Raivis when he realized that Vash was leading them toward the ammunition room. That wasn't the way he wanted to die. He had never even been in there before! His heart pounded, but he didn't even attempt to struggle against Vash, knowing that the Swiss man was much stronger than he was.

"Sit," Vash commanded, throwing him into the ammunition room. He pointed to a small table in the corner with two chairs. His fingers flicked on the light as he leaned against the door so Raivis couldn't escape. "Sit!" he repeated more forcefully as Raivis stood there and blinked at him in shock. "Don't just stare at me."

Raivis quickly went to do as told. "Vash, I'm sorry," he quickly said once seated. "I really shouldn't have done that. It's all my fault."

"Hmph," Vash scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I should've known the day would come when Lilli would take an interest in boys. I just never thought the boy would be you." He rolled his eyes. "Seriously, you of all people."

"You're not mad?" Raivis asked him, confused. He honestly couldn't tell exactly what Vash was feeling at that moment. He could tell the Swiss man was obviously irritated, but he couldn't tell if it was with him or with Lilli.

"Oh, I'm mad," Vash said, shooting Raivis a glare. "Don't get me wrong about that, kid." He was quiet for a moment. "But I just don't know how to go about it yet."

Please don't shoot me, Raivis thought to himself. He gulped. "I am terribly sorry, Vash," he quickly said. "I wish there was a way I could make it up to you."

Vash laughed bitterly. "Oh really? And how the hell would you even be able to do that?" He smirked at Raivis. "You know you're not the first boy to try to pull the wool over my eyes, right?"

"What do you mean?" Raivis asked. "This was a spur of the moment type of thing, I swear. It wasn't like we planned to kiss and have you walk in."

The older brother became furious at the mention of Raivis kissing Lilli. "Don't talk to me about it!" he snarled at Raivis. "I want to believe you're not like the others! And I can't do that if you're doing what they do!"

"The others?" Raivis asked, confused.

"What? You think you're the first caller Lilli has ever had?" Vash asked, pulling a cigarette out of a pack from his front pocket. "Guess again," he said, lighting it. "She's had way more callers than one would think, and I've hated all of them. None of them are going to be taking my little sister away from me if I have any say in it. Not unless if I deem them worthy of it."

"What do they have to do to be worthy?" the Latvian boy slowly asked.

Vash laughed bitterly. "You would ask something like that, wouldn't you?" He took a deep drag of the cigarette, exhaling slowly. "I would want him to be an honest man, for starters. Not one who does shit behind my back." His eyes shot a glare at Raivis, who immediately looked down in guilt. "He would also have to be a hard-working man who would provide the world for my sister if she were to ever ask for it. My sister is the most important being in this universe, and he needs to be aware of that."

Raivis nodded in agreement. "I can understand that. And I hope one day that man comes along."

"So you don't think you're him?" Vash asked with a smirk.

"I know that I am not him right now, but maybe one day I will be," Raivis answered. "And I mean that with the most sincerity. I really do admire your sister, and I would like to keep her in my life. If there is anything I can do to prove that, please let me know."

Vash nodded. "I'll keep that in mind." He took another pensive drag of his cigarette and exhaled in deep thought. "Here's something you can do for me."

"What is it?" Raivis asked, blinking in surprise.

"I hear your cousin is getting married in March," Vash slowly said.

"Yeah?" Raivis slowly asked. "What about it?" He wasn't planning on going, but he wanted to know what Vash had to say.

"Take Lilli with you," Vash instructed. "I have some things to take care of here around that time. I can trust you to take her to a wedding and have her back in one piece." He stepped over to Raivis and looked him in the eye. "But if anything happens to her on that trip, it's your head."

"Let me get this right, you want me to take Lilli to Russia with me?" Raivis asked after gulping in fear. "To Russia?"

"I thought I made myself clear the first time," Vash said to him. "Yes, I want you to take her. I have other obligations and don't want her home alone where other boys can get to her. I am putting my trust in you to keep her safe. Do not let me down. If you can prove yourself to me that you can take care of her for as long as it takes to get to the wedding and back, then maybe, just maybe, I'll remove you from my shit list."

Raivis's eyes widened. "Yes, sir," was all he could say.

"Oh, and one more thing. Don't ever let me catch you kissing my sister again."

.

The next morning, Lilli went to put the mail in the mailbox and smiled when she saw a letter addressed to a "Toris Laurinaitis" from Raivis. She was so happy that Raivis was finally writing to his cousin. It made her so happy. She hoped that he was writing to make up with him.

When Lilli got back inside, the first person she saw was Raivis sitting at the table. She walked over and ruffled his curls before walking into the kitchen to make herself some breakfast of bread and jam. She made some extra for Raivis, carrying it out to him and sitting across the table from him.

"I'm sorry that I got you in trouble with Vash last night," she softly said, pushing the bread and jam toward him. "I made you breakfast to make up for it."

Raivis smiled at her. "No, it's fine. I wasn't in too much trouble. He actually gave me a privilege that most men in this area haven't gotten yet."

"Oh?" Lilli asked, raising her eyebrows in surprise. "And what is that?"

"Would you be interested in attending a wedding with me?" Raivis asked her, a playful smile on his lips.

Lilli's eyes widened. "You mean Toris and Natalia's?" she asked in shock. She had been about to take a bite of her bread, but she quickly set it down on her plate and stared at him. "How did you get Vash to let you take me? He would never agree to that! It's all the way in Russia! How did you do it, Raivis?"

"It's a secret," Raivis answered. He grinned at her. "You haven't answered the question yet, Lilli. Would you like to go to a wedding with me?"

"Yes!" Lilli excitedly cheered. "I would love to, Raivis!" She giggled. "Oh, I can't wait to meet Toris, and even Natalia!"

Raivis smiled. "I think you'll like Toris."

"And you have a sudden change of heart about him?" Lilli asked. "Why is that?"

The Latvian boy shrugged. "Maybe I realized he's not that bad of a guy after all. I think last night I finally forgave him after talking to your brother."

"What made you forgive him?" Lilli asked.

"I don't know," Raivis answered. "It's like I didn't want to go to bed with anymore hatred in my heart, so I wrote him a quick letter and fell asleep. Let me tell you, it's the best I've slept in so long…."

Lilli giggled. "I"m glad." She smiled at Raivis. "And what did Vash say about us kissing? Were you in a lot of trouble for that?"

Raivis chuckled to himself. "He said not to ever let him catch me kissing you again."

"He's not home right now," Lilli told Raivis with a smile. She winked at him. "There's no way he could 'catch' us." Her hand reached across the table toward him as she sighed. "Let me guess, she told you about the village boys who have come by to admire me, didn't he?"

"He may have mentioned them," Raivis answered with what he hoped looked like an indifferent shrug. "What should I know about them?"

Lilli thought for a moment. "You don't need to know anything," she finally answered. "They mean nothing to me. Some of them just really admire me a lot, but I don't feel the same way about them that I feel about you, and I hope you know that."

A knock at the front door suddenly resounded through the house. Lilli's eyes widened as she turned to Raivis. "Could you get that?" she asked him, looking into her lap. "I'm still eating."

"Yeah, sure," Raivis answered, getting up and going to the door.

When he opened it, he found a boy with short, dark hair there. He looked around the same age as Raivis, with hope in his large, gray eyes. His height made him stand a few inches taller than Raivis, which made the Latvian boy slightly uncomfortable.

"Can I help you?" Raivis asked him in English.

"Oh, so you speak English?" the boy asked with a smirk. "Is Lilli home?"

"She is, but she's busy at the moment," Raivis answered. "Could you perhaps come back another time?"

The boy pushed past him and entered the house. "Lilli, I have come to see you!" he called. "I noticed that Vash isn't home, so I figured now would be the perfect time!"

Raivis closed the door and followed after the boy. "I already told you, she's busy," he insisted. "Come back later."

"Quiet, you!" the boy snapped, whirling back at him. "You don't know our love. Lilli and I love each other deeply, in a way you will never understand. You will never be able to keep us apart."

Lilli wandered into the front room. "What is going on in here, Raivis?" she softly asked. Her gazed then fell on the boy. "Michael," she said. "What are you doing here?" She cocked her head to the side cutely and sighed. "I thought you wouldn't be back in town for two more weeks."

"My family came back early," he said with a wide smile. He gestured to Raivis. "Who is this?"

"Oh, this is my friend Raivis," Lilli cheerfully said. "He moved in with us on Christmas. He's originally from Latvia, but recently he's lived in Poland and Russia!" She smiled widely. "And now he lives here with my brother and me."

"Raivis is one lucky man," Michael answered, grabbing Lilli's hands and kissing them. "It feels as if I have been gone for years, even if it has only been for one month!"

Lilli blushed. "Michael, I'm afraid that I have many things to tend to today. Perhaps you could come back another time?" she suggested. She cast a glance to Raivis. "Raivis and I have been left with many chores to take care of."

"I'm sure Raivis wouldn't mind doing some extra chores to let us catch up," Michael insisted, smiling at Lilli.

"I'm sure he-"

Raivis cut Lilli off. "I'll do some of your chores as well, Lilli," he quickly said. "Go to the living room and catch up with Michael. I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything." He quickly left the room, trying to ignore the stabbing feeling in his chest as he left the two.

"Looks like you've got yet another boy to do your bidding," Michael chuckled once Raivis left the room.

Lilli looked off in the direction of the kitchen. "That's not nice, Michael," she said. "Raivis is a good person. He is always kind to me. Don't talk about him in such a way." She looked up at him. "And it's not right of me to make him do all of the chores on his own. I need to help him."

"You can help him later," Michael insisted. "As for now, you need to catch up with me."

Lilli sighed. "I guess I can." She frowned toward the kitchen and then forced a smile at Michael. "Then let's go to the living room."

.

About an hour into talking with Michael, Lilli excused herself to the kitchen to make finger sandwiches. She also wanted to talk to Raivis about what had happened.

"Raivis, why did you do that?" she asked him when she got to the kitchen and began to prepare the snacks.

"Do what?" Raivis asked, looking up from the dishes he was washing. For some reason, he was finding it hard to look at her at the moment. He didn't understand why, though. It just hurt to look at her, knowing that she was entertaining another guy.

"Why did you leave me alone with him?" Lilli asked. "I don't want to be alone with him. Isn't there something you could do? I don't want him here. When I heard the doorbell ring, something told me that was him, and that's why I didn't want to answer it."

"Oh," Raivis softly said. "Give me time to think of something, but I swear I'll save you from him."

Lilli smiled. "Promise?"

Raivis laughed. "I promise."

She grinned and finished up the sandwiches. "I'm holding it to you, my dear knight. Save me from the wicked Michael dragon." Lilli winked at him. "I'll be waiting in my tower. And in case you get lost, that's the living room. Please don't disappoint."

"Oh, trust me, I won't," Raivis answered with a grin as the wheels already began turning in his head.

.

Raivis burst into the living room about ten minutes later. "Vash is on his way up the road!" he exclaimed.

Lilli's eyes widened. "Big Brother is going to kill me if he sees you here, Michael!" she squeaked. Her eyes were wide with terror. "You have to go! Please! For my sake!"

Michael was already on his feet. "Is there a back door I can use?" he asked, voice high in panic. He was looking around frantically.

"Right this way," Raivis said, leading the way to the kitchen door, also known as the back door.

"I love you, Lilli!" Michael called before running out the kitchen door.

Lilli ran into the kitchen, her hair only slightly out of place from her running. "Is Vash really coming?" she asked, breathless.

"What do you think?" Raivis asked with a smile.

She giggled and jumped into his arms. "My hero!" she squealed. Her lips kissed his cheeks over and over. "You're so good at covering for me!" Lilli then kissed Raivis's lips happily. "Oh, Raivis!"

Raivis loved being praised by her, and he loved her kisses even more as he held her. But he couldn't help but wonder if Michael had kissed her as well. That was a question for another day, though. Not here. Not now. Instead, he savored her kisses and smiled into them, glad that he had her all to himself for that moment in time.

Lilli seemed more experienced with men than her innocence led on. She pressed herself against Raivis and wrapped her arms around him as she kissed him. Her lips entangled themselves in his as she continued kissing him. It was no wonder her brother didn't let her around boys her age too often.

.

Vash came home later that evening to a meal prepared by both Lilli and Raivis, and a spotless house. The two had done all of their chores and even had time to prepare Vash's favorite meal for dinner. The older brother actually managed to smile, which was rare at that time.

"Big Brother, we made your favorite!" Lilli said, smiling sweetly. "And we got it done on time because we worked together." She gestured to Raivis. "He did the part with the oven, and I did the parts with the stove. I hope you enjoy it!"

Raivis smiled. "We just know you had a long day and probably wanted something nice to come home to."

Vash smiled. "Thank you two for being so considerate. I greatly appreciate it. How about we eat then? I am starving and really looking forward to this meal you have prepared for me. Thank you for being so thoughtful."

Lilli smiled and nodded. "It's really no problem at all." She led the way to the table, which was set and prepared for them all to sit and eat. "I am really looking forward to eating a big meal like this together. It's so exciting!"

"I'm glad you're so excited about this, Lilli," Vash said, sitting down. He looked at the food, feeling his stomach growl inside of him. "This all just looks so amazing." His eyes took in all of the delicious-looking food before him. "What a feast! And you two made all of this on your own?"

"Of course we did!" Lilli cheerfully said. "Raivis knows what he's doing in the kitchen. He said his Aldona friend in Poland taught him how to cook."

"That's right," Raivis answered. "She taught me many recipes." He smiled. "Please enjoy."

"Oh, I know I will," Vash answered, scooping food onto his plate. His eyes widened at how delicious it all truly looked. He was surprised that two kids could make food like that.

Lilli began to put food on her plate as well. "I'm just happy that we can all eat like this together. Here's to many more meals like this! I like it when the three of us eat together! It makes me so happy!"

"I'm glad you're happy," Vash answered, too distracted by the food to make much conversation. He took a bite and was immediately silenced by how amazing it tasted. "Raivis, this is incredible."

Raivis, knowing that Vash never really had opinions of much, took that as a compliment. "Thank you, Vash. I appreciate it." And he truly did. Maybe he really could get on Vash's good side if he tried hard enough.


	4. Chapter 4

Raivis worked around the neighborhood for the next month to be able to pay for a way to Russia and back. Vash was pitching in money for Lilli, even though he knew how perilous it was going to be. He figured that it Raivis was able to make it safely before, he could do it again, this time with his sister in tow. Vash didn't want to think about what else could go on if Lilli were to be left home alone for a week or two. The boys in the neighborhood weren't exactly the most subtle when it came to their intentions for his baby sister.

"Lilli," Raivis told her near the middle of February, "we're going to be leaving in a few days. And I'll warn you ahead of time of some of the things you may see. There might be some dead bodies. Hell, there may even be people dying on the road, but we'll have to keep going and ignore them. Can you do that?"

Her eyes widened. "People dying?"

"Soldiers," Raivis answered. "There's a hellish war out there. It's not exactly the prettiest thing you'll see. But I will protect you, I promise that much."

She nodded. "Okay," she answered. "We're not going on foot, are we?"

"No," he answered. "We're going the long way, though. Just to ensure safety. Your brother has hired someone to guide us."

Lilli's eyes lit up. "That's wonderful! Will he keep us safe, too?"

Raivis sighed. "I sure hope so. From what I've been told, he's made the trek many times. He's an old friend of your brother's from what I've heard."

"What's his name?" Lilli asked, blinking in confusion. Did she know this man?

"Ivan something," the male answered.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Ivan is taking us?!" she exclaimed. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that?! Of course he knows that area! He's from Russia!" She giggled. "He's been friends with Vash for as long as I can remember…"

"That's good," the Latvian boy answered. "So we'll be good with him?"

"Of course we will," she giggled. "Ivan is a very trustworthy man! He has taken me places before when Vash had business elsewhere." Lilli's smile was contagious, and Raivis found himself smiling as well. "He's like a second older brother to me."

"Then I'm glad he will be helping us," Raivis answered.

"So am I," Lilli happily sighed. Her smile was wide and bright. "Is he bringing us back as well?"

Raivis nodded. "He will be in town as long as we are, just staying at an inn. That's all."

Lilli nodded back. "I see. Where will we be staying?"

"We will be staying with Toris, if that is all right with you."

The girl blushed. "Together?" she softly asked. "As in maybe even in the same bed?" Her face turned a bright shade of red as her hands reached for Toris's. "I would love it if we did." Lilli's green eyes sparkled. "Please say that we'll share a bed."

"We can share my old bed," Raivis told her. "Why is that so important to you?"

Lilli looked down into her lap. "It's just that I've never slept in the same bed as a man before," she softly said. "It sounds fun, especially since Vash won't be around to spy on us or anything." She looked up at him. "I want to sleep in the same bed as you, Raivis. I want to know that I'm safe with you."

Raivis could feel himself blushing. "Then we will share a bed," he decided. "I don't mind it at all." He was looking forward to sharing a bed with Lilli, if he was being honest with himself. He couldn't think of any other place he'd want her to sleep than right beside her. "I'll keep you warm during those Russian winter nights."

She blushed and giggled. "Oh, Raivis!"

There was a loud knock on the door that caused them both to jump. The sun was no longer up, so both were wondering who it could possibly be. No one ever stopped by after sunset. Was Vash expecting someone? If he was, wouldn't he at least be waiting somewhere other than the ammunition room?

Raivis stood just as Vash marched swiftly into the room. He sat back down at Vash's command and curiously watched the Swiss man hurry off to the front room. Was this the beginning of the "business" that Vash was going to be tending to?

Lilli suddenly perked up at the sound of a lower voice that accompanied Vash's in the entryway. "That sounds like Ivan!" she exclaimed. She rose to her feet and bolted toward the door with a swiftness that Raivis had no idea she even possessed.

He quickly followed after her, though, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw the tall man in the entryway.

This Ivan man was a giant! He wore a long trenchcoat and heavy-looking black boots. If Raivis had a guess, they were probably steel-toed. The scarf around his neck was long and looked extremely warm. His violet eyes rested on him, nearly hidden behind platinum blond bangs.

"You must be this Raivis that they have told me about," he said, a smile coming to his face. The smile was intimidating in itself. "I am pleased to meet you. My name is Ivan Braginsky. I'll be your guide to and from Russia."

"P-Pleased to meet you, sir," Raivis answered, feeling his old tremors coming on. He hoped that he wouldn't start shaking in front of Lilli and Vash. He thought he was over that point in his life. "That is true. I am Raivis Galante."

Ivan's smile grew wider. "That is wonderful news. I am sure we will make good friends, da?"

Raivis only nodded, looking to Vash and Lilli for help, but the siblings were too preoccupied with admiring their friend. He wondered how Vash and Lilli had ever become friends with such a person, but he decided to keep that to himself. This was going to make for an interesting adventure to Russia. That much was for sure.

.

"Raivis, is everything all right?" Lilli asked him the next morning as they sipped at tea together. It was just the two of them in the house as Ivan was helping Vash with an errand.

The Latvian boy nodded. "Yeah, everything is fine," he answered. "Why would you ask such a silly question?" He laughed nervously. Was everything fine? Things didn't feel fine. Why did Ivan make him so nervous? What was it about him? "What makes you think things wouldn't be all right?"

"It's just that you're acting oddly," she observed, setting her teacup down on its saucer. Her green gaze studied his face. "You seem so nervous, but I don't understand why. Is it because of Ivan? I mean, I get that he's tall, but he's not very scary at all."

"What do you mean by not very scary at all?" Raivis gasped out. "The man is terrifying!"

Lilli giggled. "What do you mean? Ivan is like a giant teddy bear!"

"What kind of teddy bear are you imagining?" Raivis asked, eyes wide. "Because I sure don't see a teddy bear when I look at the man!" He tried to imagine Ivan dressed as a bear and the mental image of the man got even scarier. "That just sounds scary."

"Don't tell me you're too scared of Ivan to go to Russia with him," Lilli softly said. "That would be sad."

"No, it's nothing like that," Raivis quickly assured. "I would never be too scared to do that. I'm just glad you're going with me."

"I think that's why my brother hired him to take us," Lilli softly giggled. "I think he did it to intimidate you into not doing anything you're not supposed to be doing." Her giggled burst into full-on laughter. "That's so funny, Raivis!"

"Yeah, for you," he grumbled.

She smiled, running her fingers through his curls. "There's nothing to be afraid of, I promise. Ivan is a gentle giant, I assure you. He may be a bit rough around the edges, but he really does mean well for everyone. He's just a bit different from most people."

"Really?" Raivis asked, looking up into her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"He doesn't really know how to make conversation," Lilli admitted. "I think that is why he and my brother get along. They don't really talk much when they're together because neither of them socialize, but they like the same things." She put her index finger to her chin as she thought. "He also cares very deeply for people and only likes to do things with the best intentions in mind, even if it may seem like he doesn't."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Raivis asked, eyes wide.

"It's hard to explain," Lilli giggled. "You'll have to see for yourself."

Raivis groaned. "What a pain."

"But once we're to Russia," Lilli softly began, "we'll be staying with Toris, and he will not." She winked at him. "Need I remind you that we'll be sharing a bed?"

He felt his blood rushing in his body. "Lilli…" he softly said. "What are you thinking?"

"I just want to sleep beside you," she answered. "That's all. I don't want sex or anything like that. I'm too young." She folded her hands in her lap and looked down at them. "But I would give anything to share a bed with you as if we were married, Raivis."

"Why is that so appealing to you?" Raivis asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"Because you're the first boy to come along who never expected anything from me," she softly admitted, looking up at him. Her cheeks were flushed, but Raivis could tell how serious she was. "The other boys expect me to kiss them all the time. You usually only kiss me when I kiss you. You let me initiate things. You seem to actually respect me and my body, Raivis. I don't understand why you do things like that, but I thank you for it."

"Maybe it's because I see you as something more than just a woman?" he suggested. "I see you as an individual. You're strong enough on your own, Lilli. You don't need another person to complete you, and I hope you know that."

Lilli nodded to herself. "Vash always said that I need to get married one day to a boy from our village, but why do I have to marry a boy from the village when I can marry you, Raivis?"

"Marry me?" Raivis asked, stunned. "Where is all of this marriage talk coming from?"

"Vash wants me to be at least engaged sometime soon, but to someone successful," she softly said. Her eyes looked up at Raivis and pleaded with him. "Raivis, please become successful so I don't have to marry another man!"

He blinked his eyes in surprise. Lilli wanted to marry him? "Why me?" he dumbly asked.

"Because you're the only one who treats me like a real lady," she softly answered. "I would be honored to marry a man such as you." Lilli smiled up at him. "Please try, for me? I don't want to marry Michael or any other man from the village. I want to marry you, Raivis."

"But you don't know me that well," he said.

"But I know your heart," she countered. "And it is a good heart indeed. You've never let me down, and I hope you won't do it now either." Lilli leaned over the table and kissed Raivis's cheek.

And in that exact moment, Raivis knew that he would never be able to say no.

.

The next morning, Raivis got up early to pack. They would be leaving early the next morning, and he wanted to be prepared so Ivan wouldn't look down upon him. If anything, he wanted their trip to Russia to go smoothly, and knew that the only way that would be possible would be to make sure that he was able to cooperate with Ivan well.

Lilli was out in the dining room when Raivis finally emerged for the day. "Good morning," she greeted, smiling at him. "How are you today, Raivis?"

He yawned. Getting up early wasn't exactly his favorite thing to do, but he wasn't nearly about to complain in front of her. "I'm doing well," he told her, "I got up early to make sure everything was packed properly and that I wasn't missing anything."

"You are so responsible," she giggled. "Vash won't let me pack my things alone. He made sure to supervise all of my packing yesterday." Lilli smiled at Raivis. "Since I'm going to be with two men, he didn't want me taking anything too revealing or anything like that." She giggled once more. "My big brother can be so silly sometimes."

"I'm just being a good older brother," Vash simply stated, walking into the room from the kitchen. He was carrying a plate with toast and jam on it. "You have no need to make fun of me for it. I am only looking out for you, Lilli."

Lilli giggled. "And I thank you kindly, from the bottom of my heart," she told him. "I just wish you cared a little less. I'm sixteen years old now, nearly an adult."

"You'll never be an adult in my eyes until you are married with children," the older brother told her, sitting at the table. "Even then, you still probably won't be."

Raivis had to fight back a smile at the look on Lilli's face. "So when do you plan on heading out, Vash?" he asked his friend.

Vash sighed. "I am planning to leave this evening. Ivan will be in charge, watching over you two since I will not be available to. That means you need to be on your best behavior. Is that understood?"

"Yes, brother," Lilli sighed.

"Yes, sir," Raivis answered. "You know, Vash, I was thinking of getting a nice job when we get back."

"Oh really?" Vash asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "Tell me, what kind of work have you done before. I might be able to help you find a job."

"I did odd jobs when I lived in Poland," Raivis began. "I was a local handyman of sorts." He thought back to his time in Poland and felt his chest begin to ache slightly for Feliks. His mind told him to ignore the feeling and continue. "In Russia, I also did odd jobs, although Natalia also had me working in her father's shop sometimes so she and Toris could go on dates."

Vash nodded. "So I see you have more experience working than I thought." He thought for a moment. "There is already a local handyman here, but he is quite old. I will see if he needs an apprentice of sorts. He has no family to speak of, kind of like you. I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you, Vash," the Latvian boy said with a nod. "I appreciate it."

"Please," the Swiss man sighed. "What's a small favor between friends? Besides, it's not like you don't clean my house for me already and all that. It's the least I could do."

Raivis decided to keep quiet about the fact that he was cleaning the house and doing chores so that he could live there. He wanted Vash to stay in this cheerful mood for awhile. A mood like this was rare for the man, and who knew when it would come back.

Lilli smiled at her brother. "So where is Ivan?"

"He's out gathering the last of the things he will need for the journey," Vash explained to her, his whole attitude and expression changing to a more soft one when speaking to his sister. It was almost as if he were an entirely different person. "He wants to make sure you all will be safe. I've lent him a few guns and plenty of ammunition, but he insists on acquiring some knives as well. So typical of Ivan." Vash rolled his eyes and looked to Raivis. "What's with the look on your face?" he asked. "Don't tell me you're nervous."

"Nervous?" Raivis asked. "No way. I'm sure we'll be fine with Ivan. He seems like a strong guy. I'm sure with him and I together, Lilli will be completely safe."

Vash smiled. "That's what I like to hear, Galante. I like that confidence. Keep that up."

The Latvian boy sat down and smiled nervously. He really hoped it wouldn't take forever to get to Russia. He honestly didn't know how long he would be able to manage with Ivan. The man gave him such nervous vibes and was like something straight out of his nightmares. But the worst part was that Raivis couldn't figure out what made Ivan so terrifying.

"Raivis and Ivan will keep me nice and safe," Lilli chirped. "I know they will!" She grinned at her older brother. "There will be nothing to worry about with them around! Isn't that right, Raivis?"

"Of course," he quickly answered. He was glad that Lilli had that much faith in him. Now if only he had that much faith in himself...

"I doubt you three will have too much trouble anyway," Vash answered. "Ivan knows stealthy paths where you won't run into anyone. It will take about a month for you to get there that way, but it's guaranteed the safest way."

Raivis nodded, feeling his stomach churning. A month with Ivan? That sounded awful. "Thank you, Vash." He couldn't help but feel a bit unsure about being around Ivan for that long. At least Lilli would be there to make things better.

"No problem," Vash answered. "Thank you for taking Lil with you. I don't know what I would do if you weren't here. I don't trust those boys in the neighborhood like I trust you, Raivis."

Lilli shot Raivis a discreet smirk. She was glad that Vash trusted Raivis. It would be that much easier to get him to let her marry the Latvian boy. All they had to do was play it safe until Vash gave them permission to marry.

Raivis noticed the smirk and wondered if she had planned anything for the trip to Russia. He also wondered if Ivan was just as oblivious to Lilli's craftiness as Vash seemed to be.

Because in Vash's eyes, Lilli was a sweet and innocent little girl who could do no wrong. But the thing is, Raivis knew a completely different side to the girl. He wondered how much of that side would show on the trip to Russia.

.

That night before bed, Lilli grabbed Raivis's arm and dragged him into the living room. Vash and Ivan were already in bed, and Lilli and Raivis were supposed to be asleep as well, but neither of them were tired enough.

"Raivis, are you nervous about tomorrow?" she asked him. Her green eyes sparkled in the moonlight that flooded in through the windows.

"A little, why?" he asked.

"Don't be," Lilli told him. "I have Ivan wrapped around my little finger. He won't intimidate you if I tell him not to. You see, Raivis, I talk to him about a lot of things. I think Ivan already knows I want to marry you. The thing is…" She leaned in closer to Raivis. "If we can prove to Ivan that you're worthy during this trip, he'll put in a good word for Vash."

"He will?" Raivis asked, eyes wide.

Lilli nodded. "He will." She then leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Now get some sleep. We have a long journey ahead of us starting tomorrow."

But how could Raivis sleep after being told something like that?


	5. Chapter 5

Raivis woke before the sun rose the next morning to pounding on his bedroom door and Ivan's cheery voice saying, "It is time to wake up, young Latvian boy! Adventure awaits!" It made Raivis want to crawl under his covers and sleep for the next hundred years or so. Nothing made him want to curl up more than the sound of Ivan's voice in the mornings. He was quickly out of bed when Ivan mentioned coming into the bedroom to wake him.

"No need, Ivan!" he called through the door. "I'm awake!" Raivis made noise in the room loud enough for Ivan to hear through the door. He began to dress himself and ready himself for the day.

When Raivis emerged from his room with his suitcase, he found everyone else gathering in the living room. Vash was ruffling Lilli's hair and lecturing her on safety while Ivan was checking his bag to make sure he had everything. This was it. They were really leaving for Russia. They were really going to go to a wedding in Russia in the midst of a war, as crazy as that sounded. And it did indeed sound crazy.

As they were packing up the cart, Ivan turned to Raivis. "So who is getting married?" he asked.

"My cousin from Lithuania," Raivis answered. "It's a long story how we ended up in Russia."

Ivan gestured to the cart with a wide smile on his face. "No worries, Raivis," he assured. "We have plenty of time to hear the story!" He smiled. "Who is the bride to be? I'm actually from the town we are going to, so I probably know her!"

"Y-You're from there?" Raivis asked. He gulped when he saw Ivan nod. Then he probably did know Natalia and Irunya. "He's marrying a woman by the name of Natalia Arlovskaya."

The Russian man's face paled. "Natalia?" he asked after a moment. "Your cousin is marrying Natalia?" He stood there for a moment, taking it all in. "Well, I most certainly wish him the best." Ivan smiled at Raivis. "I apologize in advance about her."

"Oh, trust me, I've met her," Raivis sighed. "I know exactly what you mean."

Ivan chuckled, causing the Latvian boy to think that maybe this trip wouldn't be so bad after all.

.

"So Ivan, you know Natalia as well?" Lilli asked once they had been on the road for about an hour. "How do you know her?"

"When you grow up in a town as small as the one we grew up in, it's nearly impossible not to know each other," Ivan answered with a laugh. "But her father owned a store that everyone shopped at when I lived there. We also took dance classes together."

"You dance?" Lilli asked, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

The tips of Ivan's ears went pink. "My mother made me do it." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, Natalia realized she liked me when we were about fifteen or so. So we started dating. She was crazy, let me tell you. She always wanted to know where I was and what I was doing. If I didn't tell her, she would threaten me with the dagger she kept in her boot."

"So the dagger is real," Lilli softly said. "I thought Raivis was just making that up."

"Oh, it's real," Raivis and Ivan sighed in unison.

"I was young and stupid for ever wanting to be with her," Ivan continued. "And when my parents divorced, we broke up, and my mother and I moved to Switzerland, which is where she still resides today. I still go back to Russia every now and then to check on my big sister, though. She just doesn't know that I do. Last I knew, she was pregnant and living with Natalia. I keep up with the gossip pretty well."

"Who is your sister?" the Latvian asked, though he already had a pretty good idea of who she would be. Natalia only had one friend. Then again, he didn't want to believe that she would be Ivan's sister.

"Her name is Irunya Chernenko," Ivan answered with a smile. "She's a really sweet woman, but she's so naive. I believe that a man got her into bed with him after promising her the world, and then he left her. I swear that if I ever catch up to that man, I'll kill him. My sister is not one to be messed with in such a way. She is too sweet and pure for that."

Raivis gulped. He knew exactly who that man was. Captain Matthew Williams of the United States Military. All he could hope was that Matt wouldn't come back until they were gone. After all, if he did, it would be curtains for him. And Raivis enjoyed his company. Then again, Matt was the only reason he and Toris were still alive.

"I met her when I was in Russia," Raivis told him. "She is very kind. Irunya acted like a big sister toward me. She cared about me when it felt like no one else did." He thought back to some of the pep talks Irunya had given him at the restaurant when he had gone in alone. She was always so kind and caring toward him, toward everyone. "I always enjoyed being around her."

Ivan smiled to himself and hummed happily. "That's my sister for you. She's the kind of person you just love to be around. She's very kind and caring. Irunya is wonderful, and I think she just wants to spread the love to as many people as she can. My sister has always had a good heart, just like you, Lilli."

Lilli looked into her lap and blushed. "Thank you, Ivan."

That was when the Russian took the time to glance at the two teenagers he was with and examine the way they were sitting close, but not too close. He saw the way they would glance toward each other and express things without using words before smiling to himself.

"You two are in love, aren't you?" Ivan asked after a moment or two.

The two looked up and gasped. "What gives you that idea?" Lilli asked, looking up at him, wide-eyed. "We're just…." Unable to find an excuse, she looked back down into her lap and sighed. "Yes. We are."

"There is no need to be ashamed of being in love," Ivan told her, placing a hand on top of hers for a moment, using his other hand to hold the reins of the horses he was guiding. "It happens to the best of us, you know. I remember when I was in love at your age. Of course, mine didn't last, but you two actually might as long as Vash doesn't intervene."

"What do you mean by intervene?" Raivis asked, stomach sinking.

"What kind of business do you think he's doing, Raivis?" Ivan asked, raising an eyebrow to the other male. "He's looking for a mae suitable for his younger sister. Of course, he's keeping you in mind, but he's out looking for other suitors as well. He doesn't deem any of the village boys suitable, especially that Michael that keeps lurking around."

Raivis frowned at the mention of Michael, yet his stomach dropped. How could Vash do that to Lilli? Didn't he realize that Lilli's feelings were important as well? She should marry for love. He felt as if he couldn't breathe.

"You know, Vash respects my word just as much as his own," Ivan continued. "So if you can prove to me that you are capable of taking care of and loving Lilli while we're out on this adventure, I'll be sure to report it to Vash. That's one reason why he had me tag along, anyway. He wanted to test you, Raivis."

"He did?" Raivis asked.

"Don't you know anything about him? He wants to see if you can really take care of his sister." The Russian smiled. "Just prove yourself, and Lilli will be yours."

Lilli looked to Raivis with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Please don't let me down, Raivis. I'm begging you. Don't let me marry a stranger." She leaned over and kissed his cheek to encourage him, but all it really did was add more pressure.

.

As they stopped on their first break, Raivis helped Lilli down from the cart as Ivan just jumped down and went to feed and water the horses. The two teenagers stood in the back, making small talk before Lilli stepped up to Ivan and pulled him aside.

"Ivan, you love me like a little sister, right?" she softly asked him, looking up at him with wide, green eyes.

"Of course I do," Ivan answered. "That's why I'm doing everything I can to keep you safe. I want to see you happy. Are you enjoying this so far?"

"I am," she said with a curt nod. "But can you see how happy I am with Raivis?"

He was quiet for a moment. "That's what this is all about, isn't it?" He smiled at her and ruffled her hair. "Yes, I see how happy he makes you, but you know that it isn't ultimately my decision. It's all really up to Vash."

"Why can't it be up to me who I marry?" Lilli asked with a frown.

Ivan sighed. "Don't do such a horrible thing like that with your mouth," he told her. "It doesn't suit a pretty girl like you." He smiled as Lilli blushed and smiled at him. "I'm going to do everything in my power to convince Vash that Raivis is the one for you, I promise. You just have to believe me and trust me on that."

"I do," Lilli answered. "Just please don't go back on your word."

"I won't, Lil," he said.

She smiled up at him for a few moments longer before saying, "So dancing, huh?"

"Go back to the cart," he laughed. "I'm not going to dance for you and the Latvian." As he watched her walk back over to Raivis and strike up a conversation with him, he couldn't help but feel bad for them, knowing that Vash was off trying to marry her off to another when she was perfectly happy with the boy right before her eyes.

.

That evening, as the sun was beginning to set, Raivis moved up to the front of the cart by Ivan. Lilli was napping in the back, and he made special care not to wake her. It was just that he had some questions for the Russian and needed some answers.

"Hey, do you mind if I ask you a few questions, Ivan?" Raivis asked him. He needed to know why Vash was trying to marry Lilli off to another.

"Sure thing, Raivis," Ivan answered. "Is it about Vash's intentions, by any chance?"

Raivis blinked in surprise. "How did you know?"

"You are very easy to read." The Russian smiled to himself. "Vash only wants what's best for his sister. He wants to see her happy and well off. But sometimes, both can't be done. He at least wants to see her well off then." His smile turned to a frown. "Vash believes that his sister can learn to love the man who will make sure she's well off if he's not you. Yes, Vash is aware of the fact that his sister is in love with you."

"He is?" Raivis asked.

"He's known since the day he saw you two kissing," Ivan answered with a nod. "As much as he desires to see his sister happy, he can't do that if he doesn't know if she'll be well off in the future. That's why you need to get your act together, Raivis. You need to show Vash that you can take care of Lilli better than any other man can." He smiled over at the Latvian boy. "And that is something that I know you can do."

"How can I do that?"

"Now that is something I can't tell you," Ivan answered. "It's something you'll have to figure out for yourself. But once you figure it out, you'll be a true man."

Raivis sat back and let that sink in. Ivan really thought that he had it in him to become a man. It made him feel good, but also terrified. If only he knew what to do to prove to Vash that he was worthy of Lilli, worthy to marry Lilli. But what did he have to do to prove it? At least he'd have a lot of time to think about it. After all, he was going to be with Ivan and Lilli for the next two months. Surely, something was going to come up.

.

A week into the journey, Lilli was beginning to feel restless. Her heart was starting to pound constantly, and her nerves felt shot. Everything inside of her felt as if it were building up. The world felt as if it were crashing down on her. She felt her heart racing at such a rapid rate that she felt it was going to burst at any given moment.

"Are you doing all right?" Raivis asked her. "You're looking pretty pale." He gently placed a hand on her forehead. "Is everything okay?"

"My heart is just doing strange things," she softly answered. Her hand subconsciously went to her chest as if she could stop her rapid heart rate by placing her hand over it. It didn't work.

"What's it doing?" Raivis asked, concerned. "Is it anything I can help with?"

Lilli slipped her hand into his in hopes that it would calm her heart rate. It slowly started working. "My heart is beating at a rapid rate, and it almost feels as if it will jump out of my chest. Having you hold my hand like this is calming to me." She leaned her head on his shoulder. "Please hold my hand a little longer. I'm sure Ivan won't mind."

Raivis stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. He smiled to himself, glad that Lilli wanted him and no one else at that moment when she was feeling so desperate for help. His heart sped up, but in a good way, in a prideful way. Things were finally going well for him.

"Being around you calms me," Lilli softly told him. "I enjoy your presence. It makes me feel safe and wanted. It makes me feel home on this journey. I'm glad I cam with you, Raivis. You're wonderful, and you are so good to me. I could never thank you enough." She laced their fingers together, staring at their hands fondly. "I really do love you, you know," she said just loudly enough for only him to hear. "I hope my brother lets me marry you one day."

"Yeah?" Raivis asked her. "I hope the same." He kissed the top of her head, smiling to himself. He had never been more in love than he was with Lilli. In fact, he had never been in love with anyone before Lilli, but he hoped he would never have to fall in love again, because he knew deep down that Lilli wasn't just some girl he would ever get over. "I have a question," he quietly said.

"What is it?" Lilli asked him, looking up at him with her beautiful green eyes.

"Have you ever been in love before?" Raivis asked her. "I mean, before me, were you ever in love with someone? I want you to answer honestly. Even if you had been in love, I wouldn't mind, because that's in the past now."

Lilli thought for a moment before answering. "I will admit that there were a few boys that I liked, but I have never loved any boy the way I love you, Raivis," she answered. "I never have come across a man that I wanted to spend the rest of my days with until I met you." She blushed. "I hope I didn't come across as too forward."

She took her hand back from Raivis, folding her hands tightly in her lap and staring down at them. Had she really just admitted that to him? What was with all of the honesty between them lately? Lilli had never been this honest about her feelings with anyone before! Was she really ready to be in love like this? Granted, it felt amazing to be in love, but was she ready to commit to Raivis and be only his forever? Of course she was! But was Vash ready to give her away to a man who only had love to offer at the time?

"You didn't," Raivis answered, smiling. "And when we get back, I'm going to prove my worth to Vash, just you see. I'm going to get a job, and I'll get a house. We will be happy together, Lilli, you'll see."

"I can't wait," she softly said.

Up in the front of the cart, Ivan smiled to himself. He remembered being young and in love like that. He also remembered when his heart and dreams of love were shattered as well. By none other than the woman who was marrying Raivis's cousin. He just hoped that what happened between him and Natalia wouldn't happen to Raivis and Lilli.

.

Three Years Previous, Ukrainian Border

Natalia slammed her hand down on the counter and peered up at Ivan. "I know you're not loyal to me, Ivan! Now who is she?" she demanded. Her blue eyes were like ice piercing into Ivan's inner being. She was infuriated. "I want to know who your other woman is!"

"There isn't one," Ivan calmly stated. "I don't know where you're getting the idea of that. I've already told you, my parents divorced and I'm moving to Switzerland in two weeks. There is no other woman, unless if you're referring to my mother."

"So your mother is more important than I am?" Natalia asked. "You're willing to leave me behind to move to Switzerland with your mother?"

"Yes, because family is what is most important to me, Natalia," Ivan answered. "I hope that one day you can understand that. But I guess today is just not that day." He looked down at his boots. "I am sorry that we can't last as a couple."

"I know there is someone else," she snarled at him. "Why else would you just do this to me, after all we've been through?" Her hands grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "Don't I mean anything to you, Ivan?"

His heart ached to see his now-ex-girlfriend in so much pain. "I am sorry, Natalia, but this is the way it has to be," he answered. "The distance would never work. Maybe one day we can be together again, but just not now."

"No, fuck you!" she shouted at him. "Leave me! I never want to see you again!" Her eyes filled with tears of hatred and hurt. "Don't ever come around me again! I don't even want you to come say goodbye!"

"If that is what you wish," he answered before quietly walking out the door, never to be heard from by her again.

.

Late February, 1943, Ukraine

Raivis woke with a start one morning as the cart lurched forward. He didn't expect Ivan to be up so early. The sun hadn't even risen. Was something wrong? He crawled up to the front to see what was going on and saw that the Russian had a troubled look on his face.

"Good morning, Ivan," Raivis greeted, seating himself next to him. "Is something wrong?"

Ivan blinked in surprise at Raivis sitting next to him. "Oh! Raivis! Good morning!" He had a cheerful smile plastered to his face. "I just had a bad dream is all, so instead of going back to sleep, I just decided to get an early start this morning. You know, we only have about two more weeks left until we get there." He smiled widely. "I know we're taking scenic detours, but it's the only way to avoid the soldiers. We just crossed into Ukraine last night, by the way, so we're getting close. We just have to stay on the border."

The other male nodded, still a little tired. "Part of me is excited to get to Russia, but the other part isn't. I want to see Toris, because he will be so happy, but I'm not happy about seeing Natalia."

"You don't want to see Natalia?" Ivan asked, confused. "Why is that? She is a nice girl."

"Maybe she's nice to most guys, but just not me," Raivis answered with a sigh.

"Maybe it's just a part of her you haven't seen yet," Ivan answered with a shrug. "Deep down, I know she's a good person. Let her show you that one day."

"Well until that day comes….."

"I know, I know," Ivan chuckled. "Just give her time."


	6. Chapter 6

The backroads of Ukraine reminded Raivis a lot of the terrain of the portion of Russia where he had lived. Then again, that portion was on the Ukrainian border, so that was probably why. He still thought it was beautiful, even if it was freezing cold. Why Toris wanted to get married in March was beyond him, but he knew he would let him hear it when they got there.

Lilli shivered next to Raivis in the blanket that she was wrapped in. "How many more days of this do we have, Ivan?" she asked the Russian. "Surely not too long, right?"

"Just three more days," Ivan cheerfully answered. "Are you excited to get there, Lilli?" He looked back at the shivering girl and smiled. "The town is beautiful! You'll love it!"

"If I don't freeze to death first," she mumbled to herself, teeth chattering.

Raivis put an arm around her, wrapping his own blanket around her as well. "Here, let me share my blanket with you as well," he told her. "You shouldn't be too cold."

Lilli smiled up at him in awe. "Thank you, Raivis," she softly said. "I appreciate it." If her cheeks weren't already rosy with cold, she would probably be blushing. She leaned her head against his chest. "You are so warm." Lilli sighed out happily. "Raivis, you are so good to me. How could I ever repay you?"

Ivan smiled to himself up in the front, listening to their conversation and taking mental notes in his head. He had the memory of an elephant. He never forgot a thing. And if Raivis was doing this out of the goodness of his heart because he loved Lilli, that would make things even better for him in the long run.

Raivis smiled down at Lilli. "I'm used to the weather up here, Lilli," he answered. "I lived here only months ago, remember?" He kissed the top of her head, making sure Ivan wasn't looking. "I hope you get used to it soon."

"So do I," Lilli sighed. She thought for a moment. "What do you think the wedding is going to be like, Raivis?"

"Well I remember Toris saying something about a traditional Jewish wedding," Raivis mused. "Now whether they're going to go with that or not, I'm not too sure. I hope they do, though. It would make Toris's mother proud."

Lilli smiled to herself. "What was your mother like?" she asked.

"My mother?" Raivis asked, surprised. "She was just your average mother, I guess. I look a lot like her, more than I look like my father. My mother is Toris's first cousin, which makes me Toris's second cousin, even though we are closer in age. Let me tell you, my mother makes the best putra you could ever eat in the world." His mouth began to water at the mention of the delicious dish. He then felt a little sad. "But I don't even know if she's still alive or not. The Germans could've taken her and my little brother and sister."

"I'm sorry, Raivis," Lilli softly said, snuggling into him. "Here's hoping that they didn't." She wrapped her arms around him tightly, nuzzling him. "I can't say that everything will be okay if you just believe that it will be, because that's not the way the world works." She frowned. "But I will hope the best for your family."

"Thank you, Lillli," Raivis said, smiling. "I greatly appreciate it." He smiled to her. "You sure are a light in the darkness, you know that?"

"I do now," she answered. Her lips connected with his in a quick flash before he realized it and she was back to her old position before he knew it. "You are a wonderful man, Raivis," she sighed. "I hope Vash realizes that soon."

"I hope he does, too," Ivan agreed from where he sat. "Honestly, Raivis, you are the perfect fit for Lilli. You're not too young, not too old. You know how to take care of her. And she even loves you back. How much of a miracle is that this day and age?"

Lilli smiled forward at Ivan and then smiled up at Raivis. "He's right, you know."

Raivis smiled back at Lilli. "He really is. Lilli, I don't think I could bear to see you marry another."

"I don't think I could bear to marry another," Lilli admitted to him. She turned to Ivan. "Please don't let Vash marry me off to anyone but Raivis, Ivan! Please!"

Ivan nodded. "I'll do my best, Lil."

Lilli snuggled closer to Raivis, swinging her legs over his lap. "With Ivan helping us, how could we possibly lose to Vash?" she happily sighed out.

.

The next three days went by fast and Raivis soon found Lilli and himself on Toris's doorstep in the back. Ivan had dropped them off there after Raivis had promised that he wouldn't do anything promiscuous with the shivering girl next to him. His knuckles were freezing as he knocked on the door.

When Toris opened the door and realized who it was, Raivis was instantly enveloped in a tight, emotional hug by his cousin. He was honestly quite surprised that Toris was being so emotional about it, but nonetheless, he hugged his older cousin back.

After they got caught up to speed on each other's lives once inside, Raivis dismissed himself and Lilli to his old bedroom in the apartment, which had been left the same as when he had left. He set his and Lilli's bags on the bed and then looked to the blonde girl who was sitting patiently on the bed.

"What's going through your mind right now?" he asked her, smiling. "You finally got to meet Toris, and he knows we're in love." He sat next to her. "What could possibly be on your mind at the moment?"

Lilli smiled at him. "All I can think about is how lucky I am to be here with you. This is the furthest from home I've ever been, and Vash isn't even here. Right now, it's just me and you, and I've never been more in love with you than I am at this exact moment." Her lips pulled back to reveal her teeth in her smile. "Raivis, you are truly incredible. I mean that. I love you with all of my heart, and it's you that I wish to marry above any other man." She slowly moved closer to him on the bed. "Kiss me, Raivis. Please."

Raivis didn't need to be told twice as their lips connected in a more heated kiss than he had originally intended. He quickly noticed that Lilli didn't seem to mind as his hand tangled into her beautiful, blonde hair. His blood was pulsating throughout his body, giving him more and more energy, but he knew he had to contain it, due to what he had promised Ivan.

The young girl didn't seem to remember the promise to Ivan as she moved into Raivis's lap and pressed herself against the Latvian boy. Her lips slowly parted, parting Raivis's as well. She knew that she had full control over the situation, but she didn't want to completely flaunt it. Then again, she liked having the control. Lilli enjoyed the feeling of having Raivis wrapped around her finger.

The Latvian boy's hands gripped her waist as he kissed her deeper, his mouth moving on hers in ways that he wouldn't dare when they were in the house they lived in. Then again, here in Russian, who would know about it? Toris might, but what would he say? Who was there for him to tell? It wasn't like he could ever tell Vash or Ivan. They were safe in Raivis's old bedroom, and he was glad that Lilli seemed to know that as well.

Though they didn't go any further than kissing that night, the two teenagers went to bed happy that night, snuggled in each other's arms. They were glad to finally be able to be with each other with no one else around, the way they thought it should be. And the two couldn't be any happier as they fell asleep with smiles on their faces.

.

The next morning was just one huge fiasco. Natalia showed up unexpected and pulled a knife on Lilli, not knowing who she was, and Lilli burst into tears in Raivis's arms. The strange thing about it was that Natalia immediately apologized. That was something that Raivis didn't exactly understand. Natalia didn't normally apologize for that kind of stuff. It took Raivis by surprise.

Once she left, Raivis was able to calm Lilli down and convinced her not to mention a thing to Vash, which she willingly agreed to. She was still a little shaken up, but then Toris and Raivis got into it over a discussion of Feliks and each went to their own bedrooms.

Lilli followed after Raivis. "Rai? Are you okay?" she softly asked, closing the bedroom door after her. "That was really loud…And you both seem really upset."

"I don't believe that Feliks is dead," Raivis slowly said. "I just believe that Toris is saying that to kill his guilt over marrying Natalia." He was shaking a little. "It's not fair to Feliks's memory that Toris is getting married to Natalia. He shouldn't marry anyone. Feliks is still alive. I know he is."

"How do you know that he is?" Lilli asked, sitting next to him and running her fingers through his curls in a comforting way.

"Until I see a body or a tombstone, I will refuse to believe that he's dead," Raivis answered. "It's that simple. Until I have proof that he's dead, I refuse to believe it. And that's the way Toris should be, but he's not. I think that's unfair to Feliks's memory and the sacrifice that he made for us."

Lilli nodded her agreement. "You're right. It is unfair," she agreed. "Feliks should be remembered better by Toris. But I think this may be his way of grieving over the loss of his former lover. Have you considered that? Maybe he's telling himself that Feliks is dead so he can mourn the loss and just get over it."

"But what if Feliks isn't dead and shows up again in Toris's life again one day when Toris is happily married?" Raivis asked Lilli. "What will Toris do then? Doesn't that just sound unfair to both of them?"

She sighed. "That does sound unfair, but what are really the chance of that happening?"

"You're right," he agreed. "I'm just saying, what if that does happen?"

"Then that will be Toris's problem to face when the time comes," Lilli answered, kissing Raivis's cheek. "You shouldn't worry about it. Toris got himself into this, and he'll have to talk his way through it when the time comes."

Raivis nodded. "You're right, Lilli," he agreed. "Why am I stressing out over it?" He smiled at her and kissed her lips. "Thank you! You're the best!"

Lilli blushed. "I try." Her fingers went to her lips as she blushed.

.

That night, Lilli bolted straight upright in bed to yelling. She knew it was Toris, and he was yelling in his native language. She began shaking Raivis. "Rai! Rai, wake up! It's Toris!"

Raivis groggily woke up. "Huh? What?" He listened for a moment. "Toris?" he asked, suddenly more alert. "Why is he yelling for Dalia? She's not here."

"Who is Dalia?" Lilli asked, confused. She cocked her head to the side. "I thought his fiancee was named Natalia."

"Dalia is his little sister," Raivis answered. "I haven't heard him have a nightmare about her in years….Wait here." He got up from bed and went into Toris's room. He began shaking his cousin. "Toris, please wake up!"

When Toris didn't awaken and kept shouting in Lithuanian, Raivis continued shaking him and begging him to wake up. And when he finally woke up, he looked up at Raivis, pale and drenched in sweat.

"What's going on?" he asked, looking all around him. He was gasping for breath, but at least he was now awake.

"You've been shouting for your sister for the past five minutes," Raivis answered. "You woke up Lilli, and she woke me up. What's going on? Do you want to talk about it?" He really hoped that Toris would agree and get things off of his chest.

Toris curled up into fetal position under his covers. "No," he quietly answered. "It's not like anyone would understand anyway…"

Raivis began to worry. Toris hadn't been this bad since they had first gotten to Russia. He really hoped that everything would be okay….

.

The day before the wedding was so hectic. Raivis and Lilli were helping Toris with as many errands as they could, but even they needed some breaks at times. They didn't exactly come to be servants, they came to be guests, and Raivis often reminded Toris of that fact. Unfortunately, that ended with Toris near a breakdown, so Raivis would always give in and help, assuring Lilli that she needed to rest instead of help along with him.

Raivis was glad that he could help Toris, but he also wished that he could spend more time with Lilli. He knew that she was fine with embroidering and all that, but he hoped that she wouldn't become bored of him and his constant need to help his cousin. That would be the worst. He was supposed to be proving that he was responsible for her, not Toris. Yet every time he tried to tell Toris that, he felt he would get guilt-tripped by his cousin, so he kept his mouth shut about it.

"You must've had a long day," Lilli commented in the evening after dinner. It was just her and Raivis in the apartment since Toris and Natalia had gone out to see each other without Natalia's family knowing. "I feel bad for you. Toris is working you like a slave driver. Are you sure you feel okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Raivis answered with a sigh. He looked over at Lilli, who was embroidering on the couch. His mind couldn't help but take in how beautiful she looked as she sat there with the needle in her hand and a smile on her face. "What are you making anyway? You've been working on that all day."

"It's just a wedding present for Toris and Natalia," she answered, blushing. "I'm just about finished with it." Lilli turned the embroidery to face Raivis. "I mean, I know it's not that great, but I hope they can appreciate it."

The embroidery was the outlines of the Belarusian and Lithuanian flags fused together and their initials in the corners with their wedding date beneath them. It must have taken so much time and effort to make.

"I think they'll love it," Raivis commented. "Natalia likes things like that. She'll probably hang it up in their home when they move into it." He smiled at her.

"You think so?" Lilli excitedly asked. "Oh, I hope so! That would be wonderful!" She giggled to herself and smiled up at Raivis. "You always know just what to say, Raivis. I never knew I would ever find someone in this world who would make me as happy as you do." Her cheeks went bright red in a blush as she muttered, "Did I really just say that?"

"You did," Raivis teased with a grin. "But that's okay, because I feel the same way about you." His grin turned into a warm smile as he moved to sit next to her on the couch. "You know, this trip with you has made my love for you much stronger than before. I'll probably miss sleeping next to you when we get back to Switzerland."

"I'll miss sleeping with you as well," she admitted, frowning. "But once you are granted my hand in marriage, then we'll get to sleep together every night, my darling." She caressed his cheek with her soft hand. "It's only a matter of time. Wait for me, Raivis."

"Lilli Zwingli, you are the girl I would wait for until the end of the earth," Raivis told her.

"You really mean that?" Lilli asked, eyes wide with awe. "You would wait for me that long if you had to?"

"I don't think I'll ever stop loving you," Raivis answered. He smiled and went to turn on the radio. A slow song came on and he extended his hand toward the beautiful girl on the couch. "Would you give me the honor of having this dance?"

Lilli took his hand. "Of course, Raivis," she answered. A smile came to her face as she listened to the lyrics, swaying back and forth on the living room floor with Raivis. "This song is so beautiful," she mused.

"She's in my dreams, awake or sleeping," the musician sang from the radio. Raivis thought about that line. Lilli was always in his dreams as well, whether he was sleeping or just daydreaming. She was always on his mind. He was just so in love with her.

When the song ended, the two parted and Raivis smiled to Lilli as the title of the song was announced on the radio. It was titled "Prisoner of Love". That was exactly how the two felt at that moment, prisoners of their own love for each other. But they were both happy that way.

.

That night as they laid in bed, Lilli rolled over the face Raivis and smiled. She ran her fingers through his curls to get his attention from the book he was reading and smiled at him when he finally looked over. Her heart raced when she felt his blue eyes resting on her, just as she always did. She was almost certain that she would never get used to that.

"The wedding is in the morning, you know," she softly said. "We might want to get to sleep early if you want to be fully rested for a day of dealing with Natalia." Lilli winked a green eye at him and giggled at his expression upon the mention of Natalia. "I mean, she is going to be joining your family tomorrow, after all," she continued, wondering how much further she could torture her love with her words.

Raivis groaned. "Don't remind me," he sighed with a smile. "Who knows? With time, she may be your cousin as well."

Then it was Lilli's turn to groan. "You just had to shove reality back into my face," she giggled. She kept playing with Raivis's hair. "I love your hair, Raivis. It makes me wish that I had curly hair like yours."

"You wouldn't want it," he assured her. "It's a pain to take care of."

She propped herself up on her arm. "Is it really?" she asked. "My hair waves a little bit, but that's about all." Lilli sighed, playing with her hair a little. "It's not nealy as fun to play with."

Raivis smirked at her and closed his book. "Well I like it," he told her. "It really suits you."

"You think so?" she asked, perking up, a wide smile on her face. "Thank you for saying so! Vash didn't like how short it was at first, telling me that a lady should have long hair."

"I think that if it's your hair, it can be any length you'd like," Raivis answered.

"You don't think it makes me look like a boy?" Lilli asked, eyes wide.

"No, I think it makes Vash look like a girl," Raivis answered, knowing the two had the same hairstyle and length.

Lilli giggled to herself. "You're so funny, Raivis!" She moved closer to him and rested her head on his chest as she continued to play with his hair. "I love you," she suddenly said, tone turning serious. "I hope you know that."

"I do," he answered, tone just as serious. "And the next person in my family to get married will be me. And it will be soon. And it will be to you."

"You really think so?" Lilli asked him, eyes big and happy as she looked up at him.

"I know so," Raivis answered. "I'm not going to give up on you, Lil. I've fallen too hard for you to give up now. I'm madly in love with you, and I'll be damned if I lose you to someone else when I know that you return my love."

"Oh Raivis!" she happily cheered, snuggling up to him. "You make me so happy!"

"And you make me just as happy," he told her, cuddling her. "Now let's get to bed. We have a big day ahead of us."

Lilli yawned. "As long as I get to sleep like this," she told him.

"Of course," he told her. And with that, he turned out the light and snuggled up to her, knowing that he would sleep well that night.


	7. Chapter 7

Raivis woke early the next morning. He knew it was the day of the wedding, but he wished he could have gotten more sleep than he had. Careful not to wake Lilli, he got out of bed and went out into the apartment to see if Toris was awake, which he was. And from what Raivis could tell, it looked as if Toris had slept maybe three hours that night.

"Did you even sleep?" Raivis asked his cousin, sitting at the table and grabbing at Toris's cup of coffee for a sip.

Toris pushed the mug toward his cousin. "Barely," he answered. "I'm just anticipating today is all. What if I mess up or something?"

"What kind of moron messes up their own wedding?" Raivis scoffed before taking a sip of the coffee.

"This kind of moron," his cousin spazzed, gesturing to himself. "I would most definitely mess up my own wedding!" He began breathing heavily. "I can't do this, Raivis. I really can't."

"Sure you can," Raivis answered. "I'll be right there in the crowd, watching you. You're going to be fine. You'll see. But in the meantime, you can't keep drinking all of this coffee. It's bad for your nerves. No wonder you're freaking out all over the place." He sighed. "Drink water for the rest of the morning, okay?"

Toris nodded and went to the kitchen to get water to drink. Seeing Toris so obedient like this made Raivis feel as if he were the older one for once. It almost made him feel powerful, if it wasn't for the fact that Toris was probably also scared of Natalia that day.

.

At the wedding, Raivis and Lilli decided to sit next to Irunya and her baby, which she kept bundled in her lap. Lilli wouldn't stop staring over at the beautiful women, definitely able to tell that Ivan was her brother. She just couldn't understand why the two siblings weren't on speaking terms or couldn't live together like she and Vash did. Raivis did his best to assure her that it was a complicated situation and that it was best not to mention Irunya's brother to her that day. The young girl sighed, but she agreed with her boyfriend.

Soon, it was time for the ceremony to start. It began with Toris signing the marriage contract, or the ketubah, as it was called. The ketubah was then read aloud in front of the crowd in the original language that it was written in while Lilli sat there with a confused look on her face, wondering if Raivis could understand it like everyone else seemed to.

Toris was then led under the small canopy by Natalia's father and then Natalia was led under by her mother. Raivis explained quietly that it was supposed to be both fathers and bother mothers leading in the bride and groom, but Toris's family couldn't make it to the wedding. Lilli nodded her head in agreement as she watched Natalia circle Toris three times upon entering.

"What's the three circles mean?" Lilli asked him quietly, trying not to disturb any guests. She was just confused about the traditions of Jewish weddings.

"The three circles stand for promises of marriage," Raivis answered. "But I can't think of what they are at this exact second." He tried to summon the promises to his mind, but they just wouldn't come. "The bride usually circles the groom three to seven times to symbolize the promises or perfection."

Lilli slowly nodded, trying to make it seem as if she understood. What did perfection have to do with the number seven? She wanted to seem like she understood for Raivis, but she knew one thing. If they did get married, there was no way she could bring herself to have a traditional Jewish wedding.

The rabbi then began saying some blessings that Lilli didn't quite understand. The first one, she was almost certain, was blessing the wine before Natalia and Toris. She then realized that the second one was to bless their betrothal. Lilli began to get the hang of things as she watched them drink the wine. Though she was still confused, she didn't want to let on just how confused she was, for fear that Raivis would give her grief over it.

Raivis nudged Lilli's arm with his elbow. "How are you holding up?" he asked her. "Is any of this making sense to you?"

Lilli was watching Toris and Natalia drink the wine as she slowly shook her head. "Not really," she softly admitted. "This wedding is so different from any wedding I have ever been to."

"I understand that," Raivis said. He grabbed her hand and gave it a light squeeze. "Don't worry, Lil, our wedding doesn't have to be like this one. Natalia just wanted a traditional Jewish wedding is all."

The girl nodded, glad to hear that. She had been worried that Raivis would want her to have a traditional Jewish wedding as well when they got married. Now she could relax, knowing that he didn't expect that of her.

Toris then grabbed Natalia's right hand and slipped a gold band onto her index finger. He smiled as he recited the traditional vow, "Behold, you are consecrated to me with this ring according to the law of Moses and Israel."

Natalia then presented Toris with an identical ring and slipped it onto his right index finger. Her face lit up as she said her vow. "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine."

Lilli took in the bright smiles on Toris and Natalia's faces. The two looked like they truly were in the deepest of love. It were almost as if they had been in love all their lives and never had been in love with anyone else. Their looks toward each other were so pure and wonderful that Lilli couldn't help but smile and feel a warmth in her heart for them.

Then came the time for the Sheva Brachot to be recited by the rabbi. Lilli asked Raivis what that was, and he had explained to her that it was the seven promises of marriage for the husband and wife. She simply nodded, asking for no more explanations than that. There wasn't anything else she really wanted to hear about this wedding, knowing that it was almost over anyway. She didn't want to get any more confused. Though it was a beautiful wedding, she just didn't understand it like Raivis did. And for some reason, it made her heart feel heavy.

Toris drank the wine, followed by Natalia, once the rabbi was finished speaking. They seemed so happy up in front of everyone in the wedding canopy. Lilli couldn't help but smile along with them and cheer with the rest of the crowd as Toris stomped on glass with his right foot.

"Mazel tov!" Raivis called out to Toris, along with most of the crowd, pumping his fist in the air.

Lilli looked over at her love, confused. "What does that mean?" she asked him, having never heard those words before. She didn't know if they were something special that she should say as well.

"It's a form of congratulations," Raivis answered with a wide smile. "You should try saying it. It's fun! Mazel tov!"

"Mazel tov!" Lilli called out. A wide smile spread across her face. Raivis was right! It was fun to say. She looked over at him, a wide grin on her face. She was so glad that she had been able to come to the wedding with him.

Caught up in the moment, Lilli kissed Raivis happily, and Raivis kissed her back, an arm around her waist. They kissed for a moment before being brought back to reality by cheering people.

Lilli looked up to see that Toris and Natalia were no longer there. She looked around them and saw no trace of the bride or the groom. "Where did they go?" she asked Raivis.

"It is Jewish tradition that the bride and groom go off to be alone for ten to twenty minutes after their wedding is complete," Raivis answered. "I never understood it until I got older, if you know what I'm saying."

Lilli blushed a deep red. "You mean they're off doing that?"

"It's quite possible," Raivis answered with a shrug. "Each couple spends their time differently, from what I've heard."

Lilli giggled. "Oh my."

Raivis smiled at her shyness over the matter. At least he wouldn't have to think about her wanting to do things like that for a long time. "Well Toris and Natalia are staying at their house tonight," he began. "We have the apartment to ourselves tonight before we leave tomorrow. So we should be able to get some good sleep at least."

She smiled over at him. "That sounds wonderful, Raivis." Her hands squeezed his with excitement. "You know, I'm glad that I came to this wedding with you, Rai. If I hadn't, then I wouldn't have had this wonderful time that I'm having right now. I think you're the most wonderful man I have ever met." Lilli leaned in and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Raivis Galante."

"And I love you, Lilli Zwingli," he answered before kissing her soft lips. "Forever and ever."

.

That night, Lilli emerged from Raivis's bedroom in her nightgown to find him reading on the couch. "What are you reading?" she asked him, cocking her head to the side. "Is it any good?" She walked over to him and sat next to him, so close that their legs were touching.

"I'm just reading over the Hebrew Bible that Toris has here," Raivis answered, looking up at her. "It's been years since I've read it. I had almost forgotten how to read Hebrew."

"You can read Hebrew?" Lilli asked, eyes widening. "I didn't know that." She blushed a little. There seemed to be a lot that she didn't know about Raivis that she was just discovering. "I had no idea that you could read in other languages."

"I can," Raivis answered with a nod. "I can read in English, Latvian, Hebrew, Lithuanian, Polish, and Russian." He smiled proudly. "I can speak all of them as well, though I'm not too great at Russian with both reading and speaking. I didn't live there long enough to get a good feel for the language. It's a lonely life, though. I am a master of many languages, yet I have barely anyone to speak it with."

"You have me," she told him, placing a hand on his arm. "I am willing to learn anything you could teach me." Her lips formed into a warm smile, which she directed at him. "Raivis, I want to know everything there is to know about you. You are a wonderful man, and I want to know everything you wish to tell me. That, and so much more."

Raivis smiled. "And I will tell you all of it in due time, my darling," he told her. "But just remember that it will all be in due time. You have to be patient, Lilli. Can you do that for me?"

"Of course I can, Raivis," she said with a smile. "Patience is something I can always handle. And it's because I love you." Lilli leaned in and softly kissed his lips. "You're wonderful, my dear. I could wait for you forever."

"I hope you don't have to wait for too long," he told her. "I won't make you wait forever."

"That's what I like to hear," Lilli told him with a grin. She leaned in once more and connected her lips to his. Everything inside of her body was screaming about how in love she was with him. She could honestly wait forever for him without a care in the world, not even worrying about becoming an old maid, just as long as she could be his.

"What are you thinking about, Lilli?" he asked her with a smile.

"Do you really want to know?" she asked him, smiling widely.

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't want to know," Raivis answered, smiling coyly. "Now tell me about the things going on in that pretty, little head of yours."

Lilli's cheeks flared up with a blush. She loved it when Raivis called her pretty. "I am just imagining what it would be like to be married to you," she answered. "After going to that wedding today, all I can imagine is what our wedding will be like. Raivis, I decided that I don't want to marry anyone but you." She bit her lip and folded her hands in her lap. "I love you, Raivis Galante. And I want to marry you, and only you. Please do me the honor of making me Mrs. Lilli Galante one day."

"Is that a marriage proposal?" Raivis asked with a smile. He wasn't expecting Lilli to propose in such a way, but he was glad that she did.

The young girl nodded. "It is," she answered. "Because I know that you would follow my brother's rules. But I don't want to. I want to marry you, and only you. I don't care what Vash has to say about it. He is not me. He shouldn't get a say in who I marry. I want to marry you, Raivis, and only you. You are going to be my first, and only, marriage."

Caught in the moment, Lilli grabbed Raivis by his collar and kissed him passionately. Her lips moved on his as she moved to sit on his lap. She twisted her fingers into his curly hair and pulled him closer, pressing her body against his. In that moment, all she could sense and feel was Raivis. All she wanted at that moment was the boy she was so close to.

Raivis knew where this would lead if they weren't careful. He didn't want that, so he made sure to calm himself down and relax himself and his mind so he wouldn't feel that dangerous bloodrush that would soon come if Lilli kept this up. He was just hoping that she would stop soon. If she didn't, he would soon begin to worry for his sanity.

Lilli pulled away from him, breath coming out in pants. "Raivis, you're so wonderful!" she breathed. "Let me be yours!" Her eyes were more than just loving as she looked at Raivis. They were also lustful, which worried him.

"What do you mean by that?" Raivis asked, striving to play dumb. He had to play dumb if he didn't want to have to take a chance with her. There was no way he could let himself make love to Lilli while they were in Russia. He had to stay a virgin for a little while longer, at least for her sake. She needed to remain innocent.

"Raivis, it's you that I love, and only you," she softly said. "Please let me be yours tonight. Take me into your bedroom and make me yours."

So she did mean that. Raivis gulped. "Lilli, you know we can't do that."

"And why not?" she asked, stubbornly placing her hands on her hips. "Who said? Vash? He's not here, Raivis! It's just us right now!" She placed a hand on his chest, feeling his rapid heartbeat beneath her fingers. "Please do this for me?" she asked sweetly.

Raivis couldn't believe what was actually going on! Was he really about to let himself be seduced by this goddess of a girl he had met in Switzerland only months ago? Was this really okay to let himself be seduced by her? He battled it over in his head for a few moments. What really was okay, and what wasn't at that time?

"What if I accidentally hurt you?" Raivis asked her. "What if you can't sit comfortably and Ivan finds out what we did?"

"Raivis, please!" Lilli begged. "You forget how wonderful of an actress I can be at times!" She began to unbutton the top buttons of her nightgown. "Please do this for me!"

He shook his head. "Lilli, I can do other things with you, but just not all of it," he decided. "I wouldn't mind taking a bath with you or something of that sort, but I will not make love to you tonight. I can't do it. Perhaps another time."

She frowned, but accepted his answer. "If you're sure," she sighed. "And since you mentioned it, I'll go draw the bath then." Her green eye winked at him. "There's no backing out since you already said you'd do it, Raivis." With a flourish of her nightgown, she made her way to the bathroom.

Raivis sat there for a moment, heart racing. What had he just agreed to? Then he thought about it for a couple more moments and realized that, in a way, it was actually his idea in the first place.

.

Raivis sat in the bathtub, waiting for Lilli to enter the bathroom as well. His heart was racing as he hoped she wouldn't be disappointed with him. Then again, why was he thinking something like that about himself? He didn't really understand it. There was nothing for her to really be disappointed about. Then again, she had never really seen him naked before. There was something.

Lilli entered, a towel wrapped around her slim body. She smiled at Raivis, her entire face lighting up. "So you really did come in here," she said, voice sounding relieved. "I was worried I was going to have to do this by myself."

He was about to ask what, but she removed the towel, revealing her naked body beneath it. The boy could think of nothing else as he saw his first nude female of his life. He couldn't help but think that she was perfect as she stood there before him as he took in the sight of her.

"Do you like what you see?" she softly asked him.

"You're perfect," he softly told her. "There is nothing I wouldn't like." His hand reached out on its own and rested on the soft skin of her left hip before pulling her closer. "Come join me."

Lilli's face turned bright red. "Okay," she softly said. Her body trembled slightly with nervousness as she got into the bathtub and took her place between Raivis's legs, leaning back against him. She let out a sigh of content as she did so. "Raivis," she breathed.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Nothing," she answered. "I'm just glad that I'm here with you right now. This is so perfect." She turned her body to face him, the tub being big enough to do so. "I just love you so much, you know?" Her lips crashed into his for a moment as they kissed. "You're amazing!" she gasped out when they parted. "Never leave me."

"What if your brother found another during this time?" Raivis asked.

Lilli bit her lip. "That was why I wanted you to sleep with me," she softly said. "So that he couldn't find another. So I could tell him what we did and how I only belonged to you."

"But you know what that could mean for me, Lilli," Raivis sighed.

"Which is why I didn't do it," she said, caressing his face with a frown.

Raivis used two of his fingers and pushed the corners of her mouth up into a smile. "You shouldn't frown. I'd be sad if your face stayed like that one day." He smiled at her. "Your face looks wonderful with a smile on it, Lil."

She couldn't help but smile at him. "But how can I smile when I'm a prisoner of my own love?" she asked him. "I can't even be free to love the man that I wish to love." She rested her head on his shoulder. "It's not fair, Raivis. It really isn't."

He sighed. "I know it isn't," he said, bringing a hand out of the water to stroke her head in a comforting way. "And such things shouldn't happen to a girl like you. You should be free to love whomever you wish." Raivis was quiet for a moment. "I just worry that if you were given that freedom, then you may have never loved me."

Lilli pulled away from him and smiled. "I would have always loved you, Raivis," she assured. "You are so good and wonderful to me. How could I not?"

"What if you would have found someone better before me?" he asked.

"No one could be better," she assured, caressing the side of his face once more, her hand slipping up into his curls which she loved so dearly. "I would always love you and no one else."

"Are you sure about that?" he asked.

"Indeed I am," she answered.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because you see, I'm just a prisoner of my own love. Try and break my shackles. You won't." She smiled at him. "I'm a prisoner to my love for you, but I enjoy every moment of it."


	8. Chapter 8

Raivis woke the next morning to see Lilli fast asleep next to him. She was sleeping so soundly that he almost didn't want to wake her until he saw the time. Ivan was going to be there in less than an hour! He had to wake Lilli up so she would be ready when he got there. That way, Ivan wouldn't be suspicious of them at all. Though, as Raivis thought more about it, Ivan was probably suspicious enough as it was.

He gently shook the sleeping girl next to him. "Lilli? Lil, we have to get up now."

Lilli opened her bright, green eyes and looked up at Raivis. Her mouth formed into a wide smile. "Good morning, Raivis," she cheerfully yawned, stretching. She reached up to cup his cheek in her hand, the sleeve of her pink nightgown falling down her arm. Her skin was warm from snuggling Raivis and being under a blanket all night. "Does this mean Ivan will be here soon?" she asked, yawning once more.

"I'm afraid so," Raivis answered with a sigh. "So we have to get up, get dressed, pack up, and be ready for Ivan when he comes."

She nodded, her eyes fluttering shut once more. After a moment, her eyes snapped open. "Ivan's coming to get us soon!" she exclaimed, registering the fact. Her body moved on its own as she rose out of the bed and ran a brush through her hair. "Raivis, we need to get ready!" Lilli stripped off her nightgown and began to slip into her dress. "Could you help me with this, Rai?" she asked.

"Y-Yeah," Raivis answered, walking over to her. He grabbed the zipper on the back of her dress and began pulling it up. "Like this?"

"Exactly like that," Lilli encouraged, peeking over her shoulder at him and casting him a warm smile. "You're doing great. Just pull it all the way up, Raivis."

He quickly did as told and she turned around and kissed him. "I should help you more often," he decided, blushing. Raivis himself wasn't even dressed yet, but he didn't seem to care as he kissed Lilli once more, losing himself in her for a moment.

"Rai," Lilli softly said, breaking off the kiss, "go and get dressed. Ivan will be here soon." She kissed his cheek and put her discarded nightgown into their shared suitcase. "We need to be ready, or he'll get suspicious. We need to prove that we're responsible."

Raivis nodded. "You're right. I knew that." He pulled out some clean clothes and changed into them. After trying to tame his curls for about five minutes, he gave up and went to pick up their suitcase. "Are you ready, Lilli?" he asked her.

"How much time do we have left?" she asked him.

"About fifteen minutes," he answered.

Being the sneaky and daring girl that she was, Lilli jumped into his arms and kissed him passionately. She knew just how to charm Raivis and just what to do to drive him crazy. Sneak attacks worked best. That much she knew. And at that moment, seeing how much time they had, she wanted to drive him wild, knowing full well that she wouldn't get another opportunity to for a long time.

Raivis's eyes widened before they closed as he accepted Lilli's love. He placed his hands on her waist and pulled her closer, causing her to squeak against his lips. Oh, how he loved the noises she made! His hands went to her hips, gripping them firmly, as her arms looped around his shoulders. He never wanted that moment to end, but like all perfect moments, it did.

Lilli broke away to catch her breath, tears in her eyes. "It's not fair, Raivis! It's just not hair! Why can't I marry you? We would be so happy together, I just know it!" She clenched her hands into fists and placed them against his chest. "I love you, Raivis! No one else! Just you!" A tear made its way down her cheek. "Why can't Vash accept that? It's not fair! It's just not fair!"

He grabbed her fists, holding them gently in his hands. "I'll wait for you, Lilli. However long it takes. I will never marry another, for it's you that I love. And I promise to always love you, even if you marry someone else."

She shook her head. "No," Lilli said. "I refuse to marry anyone who isn't you, Raivis. And I'm going to tell Vash that when we get home." She took a deep breath. "It's time I stood up for myself and for what I want. After watching Toris and Natalia get married yesterday, I realized that was what I wanted, more than anything. But I only want it if it's with you." Lilli took a deep breath. "Raivis Galante, I will marry you. Just you wait and see. It will happen."

"And I can't wait for that day," Raivis told her, smiling widely. "You are going to make a beautiful bride."

"But only for you," she assured.

.

"How was the wedding?" Ivan asked once they were on the road. "Was Natalia lovely as always? How about Toris?" His eyes were shining as if he were genuinely interested in how it went, even though it was the wedding of his ex-girlfriend to another man. "I bet that wedding was just wonderful. It warms my heart to know that she is now with a good man for her. She deserves it."

As Raivis looked closer, there was a hidden emotion in Ivan's eyes that he couldn't quite pick out. It wasn't resentment. It was something else. Jealousy? No, that wasn't it. But it was as if his eyes were laughing about some dark, secret joke that only he would think was funny. That was one of the things that scared Raivis so much about Ivan. His words were always harmless and innocent, yet his eyes always told another story. The story in his eyes was much more terrifying to Raivis than he cared to admit.

Raivis forced a smiled to Ivan. "The wedding was beautiful," he said. "It was a traditional Jewish wedding. Natalia had requested it, actually."

Ivan thought for a moment. "That's interesting. She was never into her mother's heritage before. I wonder what changed that." He shrugged carelessly. "Oh well. Tell me more."

The Latvian boy went on about the wedding and how Lilli would ask questions throughout the ceremony. Ivan laughed a few times as Raivis would talk about Lilli asking questions. It made Raivis feel relieved that Ivan was laughing, though. At least that weird feeling between them seemed to be gone. That much was good.

The Russian turned to Raivis. "Did you see my sister there?" he suddenly asked. "You know, Irunya? Was she there with her child?"

Raivis looked closely at Ivan before answering. The older man's face was hard to read, which almost frustrated him, and he decided to choose his words carefully. "She was there, yes, along with her son."

"So she had a son," Ivan mused aloud. He hummed in thought for a moment. "What does the boy look like?"

"He looks like his father from what I can tell," Raivis answered. "The boy's name is Vladyslav Matthew Williams from what I've heard, named after his father for the most part."

"Matthew Williams," the Russian solemnly said. "That's his father's name?"

Raivis wanted to kick himself for letting that slip. "From what I gather," he answered, not wanting Ivan to know that he knew Matthew. "It all just seems complicated to me."

"If I ever come across Matthew Williams, I will break his neck," Ivan growled. "How dare he leave my sister like that."

The Latvian boy wanted to explain that Matthew didn't have a choice, but that would mean that he knew Matthew, and he didn't want to acknowledge that at all. That would cause many questions, and Raivis really didn't want that at the moment. His heart was pounding in his chest at just the thought of it. No matter what, there was no way he could acknowledge that he knew Captain Matthew Williams.

.

Lilli woke up awhile later and went to sit with Ivan while Raivis slept. She leaned her head on Ivan's shoulder while he led the horses down the path, the carriage rocking back and forth in a soothing way. Her eyes began to feel heavy before Ivan began speaking to her.

"Did you have fun with Raivis?" he softly asked.

She looked up at him. "Of course I did," she answered with a smile. "We had so much fun, Ivan. And the wedding was beautiful, even if I didn't understand most of it." Lilli sighed in happiness. "I am happy that I came on this adventure with the two of you. It really opened my eyes to many things."

"Oh yeah?" Ivan asked, raising his eyebrows. "Like what?"

"Like to how much I truly do love Raivis," Lilli answered, blushing. "It's opened my eyes to what a wonderful man he is and has yet to become. He always made sure that I was comfortable before making himself comfortable while we were in Russia. Raivis is a good man, and I hope that Vash can see that one day."

"I hope he can as well," the Russian mused. "I want to see Little Lilli happy for a change. It's not fair to see you moping around like this. You've been this way ever since he left."

"You promised we wouldn't talk about him," Lilli softly said, looking up at Ivan. "You promised, Ivan. Max is not someone I just so openly talk about anymore."

"But maybe you should, and especially to Raivis," Ivan told her. "He deserves a right to know about the man you were once betrothed to, doesn't he?"

Lilli crossed her arms over her chest. "No he doesn't," she huffed. "Besides, we were only children, and his family moved far away. Max Schmit means nothing anymore. He's probably happy with someone else now with children. He doesn't think about me, and I don't think about him."

"If you don't think about him, then why are you so hurt right now?" Ivan asked her, slipping his arm around her in a comforting way. "I know that Max was your first love, and that he betrayed your love. Do you think Raivis will do the same to you?"

"He won't," she said, shaking her head vigorously. "Raivis would never do that. He has nowhere to leave me for, and no family to go with. It's just me and Raivis forever." Lilli swiped at her eyes before her tears could fall. "My Raivis would never leave me! I know that for sure. He's different from Max! Raivis is different!"

"Lilli, you don't have to convince me that he is," Ivan softly said. "I know that he is. Raivis only has eyes for you and a future with you, whereas Max wanted other things as well. That's where the two boys differed. I think that Raivis would be the best suitor for you."

Lilli looked up at Ivan once more. "You really think so?"

Ivan chuckled to himself. "Of course. Besides, Raivis is small like you, so I can put him in his place if he messes up at all."

She giggled. "Ivan, you're like the second older brother I never had." Her smile stretched wider as she leaned into him more, closing her eyes. "You're a good big brother to me."

He smiled down at the resting girl. "And you're the little sister I never wanted but am blessed to have," he decided with a smile. "Rest well, Lilli. I'll try not to let the carriage jolt enough to wake you up."

.

The trio stopped for a break in Ukraine, all getting down to stretch their legs and feed and water the horses. Raivis went to find Lilli after relieving himself. He found her petting the horses with Ivan. She looked so happy as she stroked a horse's mane with a brush. He didn't want to disturb her until he saw her smile directed at him.

"Raivis, come over here!" she called, waving him over. "Ivan was just letting me brush out Viktor's mane!" She giggled as she ran the brush through the horse's mane once more.

He walked over to them and smiled. "That's cool," he said, grinning at Lilli. "These horses sure are amazing. They've taken us almost all over Europe." Raivis reached out and gently patted Viktor. "They're good horses."

"You can say that again," Ivan said, grinning. "Viktor and Katyusha have been my horses since I was about your age."

"How old are you now, Ivan?" Lilli innocently asked him.

Ivan's eyes crinkled into a squint as he smiled at the girl. "That's a secret," he simply said with a chuckle. His hair was silvery, which would make him seem old, but then again, he was Irunya's younger brother, and Irunya wasn't that old. "No one but my family and Vash knows my age."

Lilli pouted. "Why can't we know?"

"Because then I would have to kill you," he carelessly joked. Then again, his eyes said something completely different from joking as Raivis looked at them. His eyes held a serious expression as his "joke" went over Lilli's head. "And that doesn't sound fun to me, because I kind of like the two of you. Also, it would be hard to explain to Vash what happened to you both."

The girl giggled. "You wouldn't kill me, Ivan."

"You're right," Ivan laughed. "I couldn't kill my Little Lilli." He patted her on the head. "It would cause me too much heartbreak."

"Exactly," she told him with a smile as she finished brushing the horse's mane. Lilli handed the brush back to Ivan. "Here you go! I have to go and do something, and then I'll be ready to go again." She took off running toward the trees.

Raivis turned to Ivan. It was moments like these where he wished he didn't have to be alone with the Russian. He never knew what Ivan was thinking, and that always made him nervous, almost resorting back to the days where he used to constantly tremble. But he knew he was stronger than that as he almost reached adulthood. He had to be.

Ivan smiled at Raivis. "Why are you so afraid of me?" he asked. "I would never hurt you. I know how precious you are to Lilli."

"A-Afraid?" Raivis asked him. "I'm not afraid at all."

"You are," Ivan answered, smiling. "I can see it in your eyes, Raivis. You are afraid of me. You think I might hurt you or Lilli, but I assure you that I will not. I am just misunderstood by most. People always think I have bad intentions, but I really don't. They say that my eyes give away my true motives, but I don't know what that means. I just like helping other people."

Raivis nodded. "I will keep that in mind."

"Thank you," Ivan said. "I would never want any harm to come to you, Raivis, for you are my friend. I hope you trust me on that."

As Raivis looked at Ivan's eyes, he could tell that the Russian meant what he was saying, but what did he mean by not understanding his true intentions in his eyes. He decided to dismiss those thoughts.

"I'm not a bad person," Ivan continued. "People think that I am, but I'm really not. I care, just like everyone else does."

"I believe that," Raivis answered.

"I think we just got off on the wrong foot," Ivan told him. "Please allow us to start over. Hello, Raivis. My name is Ivan Braginsky. I am your chaperone back to Switzerland. Please take care of Lilli. She is like a sister to me, and I know she adores you."

"Pleased to meet you, Ivan. My name is Raivis Galante, and I love Lilli Zwingli just as much," Raivis answered. "Please help me keep her safe."

Ivan smiled. "I will."

.

A week and a half later, Lilli turned to Raivis as they sat in the back of the carriage. She slipped her hand into his and leaned her head on his shoulder. Her eyelids felt heavy. She didn't understand why she was so tired that day. She was always sleeping, it seemed. Lilli was the one who slept the most out of the three of them. It worried Raivis.

"Are you not feeling well?" Raivis asked her, cocking his head to the side in concern. "Would you like a blanket?"

Lilli shook her head and yawned. "I don't know what's wrong with me," she sighed. "I'm just always tired. It's exhausting. I think I'm getting sick."

"That's not good," Raivis said. "Do you want me to tell Ivan?"

She shook her head once more. "No, I don't want him to worry. He has enough on his mind right now with getting us home and all. He shouldn't have to worry about me getting sick and all." Lilli coughed a little. "I'll be fine."

Raivis frowned. "I still feel like we should tell him."

"Don't!" Lilli gasped out when Raivis made a move to go and tell Ivan. "You can't. I don't want him to worry. It's just a cold anyway."

"Do you remember my condition when I arrived at your house on Christmas?" Raivis asked her. When she nodded, he said, "That was just a cold as well."

She bit her lip. "Fine, tell him, but just not right now. Tell him next time we stop, but don't expect me to be a part of it. I don't want either of you fussing over me either."

"Well we're going to be, whether you like that or not," Raivis told her. "You're sick, Lilli. You need us to be able to feel better. So we're going to make sure you get better before we get back to Switzerland. Your brother will kill us if we don't."

Lilli nodded. "You may be right about that." She sighed. "Fine then. But I won't like it at all."

"You don't have to like it, Lilli. You just have to deal with it," Raivis told her.

She frowned at him, pouting. "I guess so." She jolted a little when the carriage stopped on the side of the road and Ivan joined them in the back. "What's going on?"

"I was eavesdropping," Ivan answered. "Lilli, if you're sick, you really need to let me know." He frowned. "Raivis is right about Vash being angry if we bring you back sick. He is trusting us to take care of you, and if we bring you back sick, he will be terribly angry with us."

Lilli sighed. "Ivan, I'll be fine."

"Lil, I've seen fatal colds before. In the next town we pass, I'm going to get some medicine for you," Ivan decided. "We're going to get you feeling better as soon as we can." He then turned to the boy. "Raivis, could you get a blanket to wrap her in?"

"I'm on it," Raivis answered before opening the hatch in the carriage and looking for a warm blanket.

"Lilli, you need to let us take care of you while you're sick," Ivan told her. "If you don't, you will only get worse, and then Vash may never trust Raivis."

She nodded. "I understand," she said. Tears stung at her eyes. "I just didn't want you to worry is all."

Ivan smiled at her. "Lilli, when it comes to you, I will always worry, okay?"

She sighed out. "Okay. I'll rest back here until I feel better."

"Thank you." Ivan placed a kiss to her fevered forehead before going back to the front of the carriage and getting it going again.

Raivis then draped the blanket over Lilli. "You'll feel better before you know it."

"I sure hope so," Lilli sighed, leaning into him. "After all, I would hate to have Vash mad at you." And that was the truth. If Vash was mad at Raivis, then that would make it so they could never marry, and that would never do for Lilli.


	9. Chapter 9

Mid-April, 1943, Small Swiss Border Village

Lilli jumped off of the cart as her home came into view, much to Ivan's dismay. She was tired of just sitting for days on end and was so excited to be home that she just couldn't help herself. Everything was just the same as they had left it back home. Her legs carried her up to the front door of her house, where she was greeted by a smiling Vash.

"There you are!" he said, beaming. "How was the wedding? Did you have fun?" Vash pulled Lilli into a warm embrace, having not seen his little sister for two months. He had missed her and even Raivis, having grown used to the young man's company. "Was the adventure everything you thought it would be?"

His younger sister grinned up at him. "Oh, it was the best time I've had in years!" she enthused. "Raivis was so wonderful to me, and the wedding was absolutely lovely!" Her smile could barely fit on her face. "I am so glad that I went!" Lilli hugged Vash tightly. "But I missed you so much! It's good to be back home!"

"I missed you too," Vash assured as his eyes landed on Raivis, who was helping Ivan unload the cart of their belongings. "And I am glad that Raivis was wonderful to you. He really does seem to be a good man for you, doesn't he?"

Lilli's eyes widened. "He is only the best!" she quickly told her older brother.

He chuckled to himself. "You say that now," was all he said before going to join Raivis and Ivan in unloading the cart.

The young girl stood there, confused. She didn't know what her older brother meant by what he had said. Had he met a new suitor for her? Oh, how she hoped that he didn't! That wouldn't be fair! For a moment, Lilli stood there and held her breath without realizing it. Only once Raivis walked by her and told her to breathe did she realize that she hadn't been.

Feeling silly and light-headed, Lilli followed after him into the house, asking if she could carry something for him, only to be denied. She went to the living room and sat on a couch, waiting for them to be finished unloading the cart, hoping that it wouldn't take too long. All she wanted was to talk with Vash and find out what he had meant by the bizarre thing he had said. Her hands clenched the fabric of her dress in worry, hoping that he hadn't found her a suitor while she was gone. If he had, she didn't know what she would do.

Raivis walked into the living room and sat next to her a short while later. "There you are," he said. "What's going on? Your knuckles are white. Maybe you should let go of your dress."

She looked at him as if she had never seen him before and quickly let go of her dress, embarrassed that he had seen her do that. "Sorry," she softly said. "I just don't know what to do. My brother said something odd to me when I got here, and I don't know what to make of it. I'm just hoping he didn't find me a suitor is all."

"What if he did?" Raivis asked her, raising an eyebrow.

"Then I will simply act as undesirable as possible to make him no longer want me," she answered stiffly. "I will not act like a lady around that man." Lilli stuck her nose in the air. "I do not wish to marry any man but you, Raivis Galante."

He blushed. "Thank you, Lilli, but I feel you should talk to Vash about this as well, and not just me."

"Oh, I will," she assured. "Vash will hear it from me. Where is he anyway?"

"Oh, he's talking to Ivan in the ammunition room," Raivis answered. "They went in there as soon as we were done unloading the cart. I guess Vash had something important to discuss with him or something." He shrugged. "I don't really know."

Lilli stood up. "I am going to go in there and speak with my brother," she stated. "You stay right here, and I will be back." She marched down the hallway to the ammunition room and threw open the door. "Vash, I need to talk to you about…" Her voice trailed off at the sight she saw.

Vash was backed into a corner of shelves, his arms circling around Ivan's shoulders as Ivan's arms circled his waist. Their faces were mere inches apart and red, as if they were talking about embarrassing things that no one else should ever hear, and only moving closer and closer. Ivan was holding Vash's body close, like the way someone would hold their lover close.

Spotting his sister in the doorway, Vash immediately shoved Ivan away, his face growing even more red, yet Lilli couldn't tell if it was with anger or embarrassment. "What do you want, Lilli?" he asked her. "Don't you know to always knock before entering a room?"

She was unable to speak for a moment, still taken aback by the scene she had walked in on. Lilli had never known that two men could love each other in the same way she and Raivis loved each other, other than stories Raivis had told her. She never thought she would ever see it for herself, especially regarding her own brother! "I'm sorry," she softly said, looking down at her shoes. "I'll just go."

"Well since you're already here, you might as well just tell me what you want," her brother impatiently replied. He crossed his arms over his chest and stood in front of her.

"It's really nothing. It can wait." Lilli couldn't bring herself to look up at him, still seeing in her mind's eye the way he was looking at Ivan. He looked as if the sun wouldn't rise without him. "I'm sorry for disturbing you, Vash."

"One thing before you go, Lilli," Vash said, voice stern. "Don't you dare tell a single soul what you saw when you first opened the door. I mean it."

She nodded. "Yes, Big Brother," she softly said, nodding to herself. "I won't tell anyone." Still averting her eyes from the two men, she quickly closed the door and hurried back to the living room, where she sat on the couch and twiddled her thumbs in her lap, ignoring the fact that Raivis was sitting right next to her.

"Lilli, is everything okay?" Raivis asked her. "You're acting strangely."

"Strangely?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. "Strangely as in how?" Her eyes wouldn't lock with Raivis's. Though he wasn't involved with what had happened, she couldn't even look him in the eye. "I'm perfectly fine, Raivis."

"You really don't seem like it, Lil," he answered. "What happened when you went in there? Was it something bad?" Raivis extended a concerned hand toward her and placed it on her shoulder. He almost gasped aloud when she shrugged it off. "What happened?"

Lilli shook her head. "I'm not allowed to talk about it. Please don't ask." Her eyes were dull and lifeless, as if the energy had been sucked out of her from what she had seen. "Vash told me I can't talk about it."

"Is it a suitor?" Raivis asked, panicked.

"No," she softly answered. "It's nothing like that, I promise. There are just some things that I wish I didn't have to know about my brother is all."

Moments later, Vash walked into the room. "Lilli, Raivis, there are some things I wish to discuss with the two of you," he stated. "I think it would be best if we all discussed it together."

"Why together?" Lilli asked. "Is it something bad?"

Vash sucked in his breath and contemplated his answer before stating it. "It depends on your definition of bad." He shrugged. "I don't know what either of you would consider bad, so I can't tell you if it is good or bad by your tastes. I only know mine."

"What does it have to do with?" his sister asked him. Her heart was beating quickly in her chest. She feared the worst, that Vash had found a suitor for her while she was gone. If he had promised her to a man other than Raivis, she swore she would never forgive him. There was no way she could ever forgive him for that. It would ruin the future she had planned for herself and him, and that just wouldn't be fair to anyone. Why couldn't her brother just leave well enough alone?

"It has to do with your futures," he answered. "I have decided on something." Vash's bright green gaze fell on Raivis. "You have three months to prove to me that you can take care of Lilli and provide for her. If you can't do that, then I will marry her off to another. Do we have a deal?"

Raivis was in shock. "What's this all of a sudden?"

"Ivan told me that you took care of Lilli the entire time you were on your trip," Vash answered. "I want to see it for myself. If you can show me that you can do it, then I will let you have my sister. But if you cannot do it, she will marry the man I met while you two were gone. Are we understood?"

The young Latvian man nodded. "I understand perfectly. In what ways would you like me to prove this to you?"

"I expect you to have your own home by the end of the three months, Raivis," Vash told him. "And I want you to be working with a steady income to provide for her. I suggest that you get busy with it as soon as you can. Your three months starts tomorrow."

Raivis gulped. That was a lot to ask, but he knew he had to do it. After all, Lilli was counting on him. "I accept your terms, " he told the blond. "I will do anything if it means getting Lilli's hand in marriage."

The older brother smirked. "Good. You're off to a nice start, Latvian." He put a hand on Lilli's shoulder, not noticing the way his sister paled at his touch. "I hope you can show me how great of a husband you will make for Lilli."

Lilli stiffly nodded. "I know that Raivis can do it," she softly said. "I believe in him, and I think you should as well, Vash." More than anything, she wanted her brother to remove his hand from her shoulder, but she knew she couldn't ask that without him realizing that his actions made her uncomfortable. But why did they make her uncomfortable anyway?

Ivan then walked into the room. "Did Vash reveal his challenge to Raivis already?" he asked, looking at the Latvian.

The girl blinked at him from the couch. "Yes," she softly said.

The Russian turned to his Swiss friend. "I thought you were going to wait for me to come in here before telling him," he said.

"You were taking forever," Vash groaned. "Forgive me," he bitterly added.

Ivan chuckled. "I put in that good word for you, Raivis," he told the Latvian male. "Everything is going to go well. I know you can do this." He gave Raivis a thumbs-up and smiled at him. "I believe in you."

"Thanks," Raivis said. He blushed, embarrassed for some reason that he didn't understand. Something about the way Ivan and Vash interacted seemed familiar to him. "I will do my best. Vash, I really do love your sister, and I will do anything to prove that to you."

"I hope to see that in your actions as well," Vash said with a nod, crossing his arms over his chest. Though he tried to look intimidating, he was much shorter than Ivan, so the intimidation factor didn't do much.

"Three months," Raivis softly said to himself. "I can do that." He looked over at Lilli as she looked back at him. He could definitely do this. As long as it was for her, he could do anything.

.

Spring, 1938, Small Swiss Border Village

Lilli laid back in the grass in a field outside of her house and soaked in the rays of sunlight. It was so nice outside that she couldn't help but be out there, hoping that her brother wouldn't catch her doing something so unladylike. She closed her eyes and began to softly hum to herself, happy that everything just seemed so perfect to her at the time.

"What are you doing, Lilli?" a male's voice asked her after a few moments.

Her eyes quickly snapped open to rest on a boy with wavy, blond hair and hazel eyes. His smile was contagious as she looked up at him, causing her to smile as well. He was tall, but he was kneeling next to her on the grass.

"It's such a nice day, isn't it, Max?" she asked him. Slowly sitting up, she stretched her arms up above her head. "Come join me. It's fun."

Max chuckled. "Why should I do that?" he asked. "It's a silly thing to do, lying in a field and wasting the day away when I could be doing something better."

"Something better?" Lilli asked. "Like what?" She blinked at him curiously. "What could be better than relaxing on a beautiful spring day like today?"

"Many things," he answered, looking up at the clouds.

"I can't think of a single one," she sighed, laying back down in the grass. She reached up and pulled on his arm. "Join me, Max!" she giggled. "You won't regret it!"

"Fine," he sighed, lying next to her. He made sure to keep a safe amount of space between them in case if Vash were to find them. "What is so fun about this anyway?"

"Enjoy life," Lilli scolded. "You're always so serious, Max. Just relax and look up at the clouds. Tell me the shapes you see. Or tell me what shade of blue you think the sky is. Something like that."

"That sounds so stupid," he told her. "Why would I want to do that?" He glanced over at her and saw that she was staring deeply into the sky. "You're a strange girl, Lilli Zwingli. That's all I can really say to you."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment," she softly said. A broad smile played on her lips as she reached a hand up toward the sky. "I wish I could be a bird, so I can fly anywhere that I want to go." Lilli turned her head to look over at Max. "If you could be any animal, what would you be?"

"Why are you asking such a childish question?" he asked, staring up into the sky.

"Why not?" she countered. "Max, humor me. Just answer the question."

Max was quiet as he thought for a moment. Why was he even considering this question anyway? Was it just because she asked him to? "A crouching tiger, waiting for a chance to pounce," he answered. "There are many reasons as to why, but I want to pounce at the next opportunity for greatness."

"But you're already great," Lilli softly told him. "Why would you need to be better?"

He sat up and looked down at her. "Just because," he answered. "I can't keep passing things up, Lilli. It will end badly for me if I do."

"What kinds of opportunities are you talking about passing up?" Lilli asked.

Max looked up at the sky. "I want to join the military, Lil." He sighed. "I want to do something helpful to my country instead of sitting on my ass and waiting for someone to do it for me."

"Join the military?!" she gasped, sitting up as well. "Why would you do something like that? Don't you know that you could die?!"

"Dying is the least of my worries," he answered with a shrug. "If I die, I die. But what if there is a chance that I could be a hero to someone?" Max got a lost look in his eyes as he thought about it. "I would love to be a hero, Lilli. It's been my dream for years. You know this."

You've always been my hero, she thought, yet she would never dare to say those words aloud. Instead she bit her lip for a moment. "If being a hero is what you want to do, then by all means, do it." It broke her heart to say those words, but she knew that she needed to encourage his dreams since he always encouraged hers. She knew that if he was focused on something, she couldn't stop him anyway.

"Thank you for your support," Max told her, a small smile playing on his lips. "One day, I'm going to be a great hero. You're going to be so proud of me, you'll see."

"I will?" Lilli asked him. She smirked at him and reached up to move a stray lock of his hair out of his eyes.

He playfully slapped her hand away, holding onto it. "And then when I'm a hero, I'll be your hero specifically." His smile didn't fade from his face as he leaned in and kissed her cheek. "I will return to you, and I will marry you, Lilli. Just you wait for me."

"Wait for you?" Lilli asked.

"Yes," he answered. "And I'll make you my bride when we're old enough. I just need you to wait for me until I'm a hero. Can you wait that long?"

"I'll wait for you," she agreed. "Just don't make me an old maid, Max."

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. "I'll try not to."

.

Mid-April, 1943, Small Swiss Border Village

Raivis woke early the morning after Vash made the deal with him, eager to get started on his end of it. First, he needed to go and find a job and also start looking around for places to live. There was so much he needed to do with so little time. As he thought more about it, he wondered if three months was really a fair amount of time.

"Raivis, you're up early," Lilli commented as he walked into the kitchen that morning. She was putting jam on some bread as she smiled up at him. "Are you getting an early start on your mission for my brother?"

"You bet I am," he answered with a smile before pecking her lips quickly. "You know I'm going to be able to conquer this and marry you, right? We're going to be so happy, Lilli. Just you wait and see. Everything will go as planned."

"I know it will." She smiled at him and cupped his face in her hands. "You would do anything for me, and I know that."

"You will be Lilli Galante, I promise," he told her.

"And I'm going to hold you to that."


	10. Chapter 10

Raivis roamed the street for the next half hour looking for signs for work. He needed to find a job before he even thought of doing anything else. If he couldn't secure a job, there was no way he could get a home for himself and Lilli, so a job was at the top of the list. Unfortunately, he couldn't find anyone who was hiring. This whole mission was off to a bad start.

He sat on the curb outside of a shop and sighed, coming his fingers through his curly hair. What had he done to deserve this? How would he ever be able to provide for Lilli? His mind was filled with thoughts of what he was going to do next.

The Latvian boy wracked his brain, trying to think of something, anything. How was he going to find a job if there weren't any available? There was no way he could ever get one at this rate. He let out a sigh as he held his head in his hands in defeat. This was not going the way he had planned.

"No," he suddenly mumbled to himself. "I can't go down like this. That's like letting Vash win." Raivis looked up. "I have to keep going. It's for Lilli. It's all for Lilli." He slowly rose to his feet and thought of a different method of job hunting. He was going to walk into each store and specifically ask if they needed another worker. If they said no, he would leave it at that. There was no way he could go wrong with that plan.

.

When he returned home that day, he had four interviews set for the next day. He was rather proud of himself for coming up with the idea of going in and asking. Never again would he sit on a curb and feel sorry for himself. If he hadn't gotten up and taken the opportunity before him, he never would have had a chance to get a job like he had now. All he could do now was hope that he got at least one of the jobs, if not two.

Lilli rushed over to greet him, smiling widely. "Raivis!" she excitedly said, pulling him into a tight hug. "How did the job search go? You were gone all day! You must have gotten something, right?"

Raivis smiled widely at her. "Better than just that. I have four job interviews tomorrow," he told her. "Which means that four places want me to work for them!"

She clapped her hands excitedly. "I knew you would come through for me, Raivis! You always do!" Lilli leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Oh, you're just the best!" She giggled with joy and hugged him again, squeezing tighter than before. "I know you can do this, Rai! You've never let me down before!" She let him go and squealed with joy. "I know you can do this! And we'll be married before you know it!"

Raivis couldn't help but to smile. "I can do this for you, Lilli. And when I reach my goal, we will be married and be the happiest we've ever been. Together."

Lilli laid her head on his shoulder. "I hope so. I am so happy, Raivis. You make me the happiest girl in the world!" Her bright green eyes shined as she looked up at him. "I love you so much."

He held her close and smiled to himself. Never in his life had he ever been in love the way he was with Lilli. The only thing that he constantly wondered was why she loved him and not someone else. Surely there could be another man, so why him? It wasn't like he was anyone special, yet it was him that she chose. He couldn't help but be happy at that.

The front door opened with a slam as heavy footfalls marched toward Lilli and Raivis. Vash could be heard yelling something in a language neither of them could understand until he broke out into English, shouting, "Can you not get that through your thick head, Ivan?!" He entered the room, stopping dead in his tracks upon seeing his younger sister and roommate.

"What's going on, Vash?" Lilli softly asked, nervous of it being some sort of lover's spat that Raivis couldn't know about.

"It's nothing," he quickly said, looking down at his feet, embarrassed. "Ivan was just being….Ivan. You know how he is." Though he looked completely calm and collected when he looked back up at Lilli and Raivis, his eyes were pleading with his sister, practically begging her not to tell Raivis what was going on between him and Ivan. "I am sorry to have startled you."

Another set of footfalls was heard in the house and moments later, Ivan entered the room as well. "I hope I didn't startle you," Ivan said, a soft smile on his face. "Vash and I just had a slight disagreement on something."

The Swiss man glared daggers at his Russian companion. Moments after, he rolled his eyes and tugged on Ivan's sleeve. "You're coming with me. We're not finished here." With much effort and force, he managed to drag Ivan down the hallway toward the bedrooms.

"What was that all about?" Raivis asked Lilli. He was obviously confused, not having seen what Lilli had seen between the two men. "Are they okay? Should I go and make sure that Vash doesn't kill Ivan?"

"Wait, Raivis-" But Lilli's voice wasn't heard as the Latvian boy walked down the hallway to find out what was going on between the two men.

As Raivis walked, he could hear faint panting noises coming from down the hallway. Was one of them strangling the other? He could also hear some moans as well. That could only mean one thing, Vash was trying to torture Ivan! He had to get to them quickly, but without being caught. Raivis turned the corner and saw a sight he wished he didn't have to see.

Ivan was standing there with his hand down the front of the obviously aroused Vash's pants! His hand was moving, which obviously meant that something was going on. Raivis had witnessed enough of that when living with Toris and Feliks to know what was going on between these two men. Why couldn't they have just said they were in love?

Raivis quickly walked back to Lilli. His blue eyes were wide, and he didn't exactly know what to say to explain why he had come back so quickly without resolving anything.

"You saw them, didn't you?" Lilli asked, looking him in the eye.

"I did," Raivis answered with a nod. "It was familiar to me in the sense that I used to see things like that when living with Toris and Feliks, but it was also foreign and almost scary to me because it was Vash and Ivan."

She slowly nodded. "I completely understand what you're saying. I should have known they were in love. It's not like they're any good at hiding it. My guess is that they have been together for years. When I was younger, Vash would always have Ivan over, but I always found it odd that they would both sleep in Vash's room when we had a guest bedroom."

Raivis nodded his agreement. "Didn't that tell you anything right there?" he asked.

Lilli shook her head. "I guess I was too young and naive at the time to really think about it." She shrugged and looked down toward the hallway where her brother and Ivan were. "I should have figured they would become lovers one day, but I didn't think it would ever really happen, I guess."

"And why not?" he asked her.

"Because I never thought my brother would be a man who liked other men." And as she admitted it aloud, she felt her heart break a little in her chest.

.

Lilli sat up in bed that night, thinking. She just couldn't believe that her brother liked men. She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that he was in love with Ivan. It was almost a terrifying concept to her. Her thoughts were racing about her head, making it difficult to think about just one particular thing.

There was a knock on her door that caused her to look up as her brother entered. "What is it, Vash?" she asked. "And why so late? Is something wrong?"

"I need to talk to you about some things," Vash answered, sitting at the end of her bed like they always did whenever they were going to have a serious talk.

"Like what?" Lilli asked, feeling her heart racing in her chest. There was so much going on in her head that she just couldn't even think straight.

"I need to talk to you about our futures," he answered. Vash took a deep breath. It obviously made him uncomfortable to talk about this to his sister, but he couldn't let that stop him. "And I say it like that because we will be having two separate ones because we are two separate people."

She nodded. "I don't think I understand why you're so serious."

"I'm calling off my deal with Raivis," Vash answered. "I want to see you happy, Lil, and you won't be happy with anyone but him. So that's why I've decided to call off our deal. Your happiness is important to me, Lilli. I want you to always know and remember that." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "You're happy with Raivis, so I want you two to be happy forever."

Lilli blinked her eyes in confusion. "Who made you change your mind?" she asked.

"I did," Ivan answered, walking into the room. He closed the door after himself and walked over to them, placing his hands on Vash's shoulders. "Lilli, I know what it's like to be in love with someone and not be able to have them. It's hard, isn't it?" He watched as Lilli nodded. "So I want you and Raivis to never have to experience that."

"But why?" Lilli asked him. "I don't understand."

"Lilli, as you know, Ivan and I don't have a normal relationship that men should have," Vash slowly answered. "We both understand that we're not supposed to be in love with each other, but we still are. We have been for years. While it's true that I went to find you suitors while you were in Russia, I couldn't find one who was as good for you as Raivis. So when Ivan came back and told me all that he did for you, I decided that I would let Raivis be your suitor. At first, I wanted to make him work for it, but Ivan didn't like that idea, saying that Raivis had already worked hard enough for it."

"He has," she quietly interjected. "Raivis has worked extremely hard to be mine, and I wish you could just see that like everyone else seems to have." Her eyes narrowed at her brother. "I want you to see how hard he's working for me. For gracious sakes, he got a job today so that he could win that stupid deal of yours."

"He did?" Vash asked. "I asked all of the shopkeepers to take down their help wanted signs this morning."

Lilli gasped. "Vash!"

"It was to make it more challenging," he answered.

"Which Raivis did manage to pass," Ivan reminded.

"Still…" Lilli sighed. "Raivis has proven enough."

"I know," Vash softly said. "And that's why I'm calling off the deal. As soon as he has a house, the two of you may marry. I'm okay with it."

Lilli's eyes widened. "You really mean it, Vash?"

"A man never goes back on his word, Lil," her older brother told her. "So I refuse to go back on mine." He ruffled her hair. "Starting tomorrow, Raivis is your suitor. How do you feel about that?"

She jumped up and hugged her brother tightly. "It's all I've ever wanted, Vash! Thank you!" she gratefully told him. "I love you so much! You are the greatest big brother ever!" Her lips kissed his cheeks over and over in gratitude. "You have made me the happiest girl on this earth!"

"I'm glad," Vash answered. "Now it's late. You should be getting to bed."

"How can I sleep, knowing that the man I'm in love with is finally mine?" Lilli excitedly asked him. "May I please go and tell him?"

"Absolutely not," her brother quickly said. "It can wait until the morning. You need your beauty rest. A girl as beautiful as you needs as much rest as she can get to stay as beautiful as she is."

She pouted a little. "Fine, you win," she answered. "But thank you, Vash. I really mean it."

"I know you do," he answered. He kissed Lilli's forehead. "I only want the best for my little sister, nothing more and nothing less."

Lilli grinned at him. "Good night then," she said, going back to lying down in bed.

Vash chuckled to himself. "Yes, good night, Lilli," he said, standing up. He walked out with Ivan. "I'll see you in the morning."

She sat there in bed for awhile, thinking about what Vash had told her, but only one thing stuck that she couldn't get out of her head. He has said they'd talk about their futures, yet they only talked about hers. Deciding to put it off, she went to bed, heart beating madly for Raivis.

.

Raivis woke the next morning to find Lilli in the kitchen, making a huge breakfast. "What's this all about?" he asked her, confused. "You never make food like this unless if it's an important occasion."

"Well, it is an important occasion," she casually answered.

He thought for a moment, trying to remember birthdays and all. Unable to think of any, he decided to ask. "What is the occasion?"

"Today marks the first day of our engagement," Lilli answered, turning to him. "Vash decided to call off the deal he made with you and is now going to let us be married."

Raivis stood there for a moment, unable to process the information given him. They were engaged? Vash called off the deal? "This is for real?" he asked her, blinking in confusion. "Vash said so?"

Lilli happily nodded. "He has!" she excitedly said. "As soon as you get a house, we can be wed!" She hopped over to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I love you, Raivis!" Her lips pressed to his before she could stop herself.

"I love you too, Lilli," he muttered against her lips.

.

Three Months Later

The backyard was decorated beautifully as Raivis stood at the end of a long aisle. The whole town sat before him, having known Lilli since childhood and watched her grow up. His heart raced as he stood there and waited for her. Never in his life had he been more nervous or anxious for one moment such as this.

Lilli stood at the back door of their house, where the aisle began, out of Raivis's sight. She smiled as Vash finished fussing over her and telling her not to get her white dress dirty. "Are you ready?" she asked, peeking out at Raivis. "Because Rai looks ready."

"The question is, are you ready?" Vash asked her. "I'm not giving you away if you're not."

She took a deep breath, glancing once more at the man waiting for her at the end of the aisle. "Yes," she softly said. "I'm ready." In her heart, she knew she was.

"I'm glad to hear that," her brother answered. He kissed her forehead. "After today, even though you're technically Raivis's responsibility, you'll never stop being mine. I only want the best for you, Lilli. That's why I'm giving you to the best."

Lilli hugged her brother tightly. "I love you, Vash."

"I love you too, Lilli," he answered, stroking her hair.

As he began to walk her down the aisle, he began to remember the first day she came to live with him. He had only been eighteen years old and she was six. His eyes looked over the backyard filled with people, but all he could see was her running around and calling out to him to look at all of the things she had found.

"Vash, why are you crying?" Lilli suddenly asked him.

He quickly snapped back to reality and wiped his eyes. "You grew up too fast," he answered. "That's all." His eyes went to the beautiful young woman that little girl had become. "I'm so proud of you."

"It's all thanks to the man who raised me," Lilli softly told him as they continued walking. She looked up and saw Raivis and noticed that he, too, had tears streaming down his cheeks. "Why is everyone crying today?"

"Because my beautiful sister is getting married," Vash answered. "They're wondering where the time went and how you grew up so fast."

They stopped before Raivis and Lilli smiled at her fiance. Vash suddenly felt a tugging at his heart. Could he really give away his baby sister like this? Of course he could. Raivis was a good man.

"Who gives this young woman away today?" the preacher asked.

Vash turned to Lilli and smiled at her. "As her older brother, I do."

.

The End


End file.
